Teoscar Hernandez and Rowdy Tellez hit solo home runs and the visiting Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Cleveland Indians 4-1 in the seven-inning opener of a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon.
Marcus Semien had three hits, including two doubles, and a walk for the Blue Jays, who have won the first two games of the three-game series.
Josh Naylor was 3-for-3 with a home run for Cleveland.
Blue Jays right-hander Ross Stripling (1-3,) allowed one run, two hits and one walk while striking out three in five innings.
Jordan Romano pitched around a single and had a strikeout in the seventh to earn his third save.
Indians right-hander Aaron Civale (7-2) allowed four runs, 10 hits and one walk with one strikeout in six-plus innings.
The doubleheader was scheduled after the game on Saturday was postponed.
Toronto scored first in the third inning, aided by Cleveland’s shoddy fielding.
Joe Panik led off with a popup that dropped in for a hit when shortstop Amed Rosario lost the ball in the sun.
Panik took second on a wild pitch and moved to third on Reese McGuire’s sacrifice. Semien was given credit for an infield hit when third baseman Jose Ramirez could not handle his grounder. Panik held at third and scored when the Indians got only a force out at second on Bo Bichette’s potential double-play grounder to shortstop. First baseman Jake Bauers could not catch a wide throw.
The Blue Jays stretched the lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning on the eighth homer of the season by Hernandez and the third by Tellez.
Naylor, who grew up in a suburb of Toronto, led off the bottom of the fifth with his fifth homer of the season.
Rafael Dolis replaced Stripling in the sixth inning and pitched around a one-out single.
Panik led off the seventh with a single. Pinch-runner Santiago Espinal took third on McGuire’s double. Phil Maton replaced Civale. Semien walked to load the bases and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a sacrifice fly.
Cleveland manager Terry Francona was not with the team. He was attending his daughter’s wedding.
–Field Level Media