Berrios fans 13 as Blue Jays edge Phillies to snap 4-game skid
TORONTO (AP) — Jose Berrios matched his career high by striking out 13 over six innings, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had four hits, including a go-ahead double in the sixth inning, and the Toronto Blue Jays snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 Tuesday night.
Berrios (7-4) allowed three runs and six hits, improving to 5-0 in eight home starts. He struck out five in a row at one stretch, and fanned the final two batters he faced. He also struck out 13 in a seven-inning start against Minnesota, his former team, on June 4.
Tim Mayza worked the seventh, Yimi Garcia pitched the eighth, and Jordan Romano finished for his 19th save in 22 chances as Toronto opened a six-game homestand with a win after losing six of seven on a West Coast trip to Oakland and Seattle that ended Sunday. The Blue Jays were off Monday.
“This win means a lot for us,” Berrios said. “We got that off day, tried to turn that page. We came today and had the win we had tonight. We want to keep rolling like that through this last homestand before the All-Star break.”
Berrios is the third pitcher in Blue Jays history to strike out 13 or more and not walk a batter. Roger Clemens did it four times and Robbie Ray did it twice.
“That’s the guy that I saw in Minnesota,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said of Berrios. “First pitch strikes, using all his pitches and throwing all his pitches for strikes. You’ve got to give him credit. He was really good.”
Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen, who was activated off the injured list before the game, said he enjoyed catching Berríos in his return.
“He was nasty out there,” Jansen said. “It was a lot of fun.”
Berrios finished a season-high 20 swings and misses, one shy of his career-best.
“That’s always how I’ve seen him pitch,” said Philadelphia shortstop Didi Gregorius, who faced Berrios frequently during his time with the Yankees.
Gurriel singled in the second, doubled and scored in the third, doubled home the go-ahead run in the sixth, and singled in the eighth for the fifth four-hit game of his career and first this season.
Bryson Stott hit a solo home run for the Phillies, who have lost three straight. Jeurys Familia (1-1) allowed one run and four hits in 1 1/3 innings.
Toronto’s Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run double off Phillies opener Andrew Bellatti in the first, but was thrown out trying to stretch his hit into a triple.
Odubel Herrera halved the deficit with an RBI single in the second and Stott tied it with a two-out drive in the fourth, his fifth, ending Berríos’ streak of five straight strikeouts.
Gurriel and Matt Chapman restored Toronto’s lead with back-to-back doubles off Mark Appel in the fourth before Nick Castellanos tied it at 3 with a two-out RBI single in the fifth.
Gurriel gave the Blue Jays the lead for good with a ground-rule double to left off Familia in the sixth, scoring Alejandro Kirk.
The Phillies were without J.T. Realmuto, Alec Bohm, Aaron Nola and Kyle Gibson for the opener of the two-game series due to Canadian restrictions on unvaccinated travelers. Nola started on the mound for Philadelphia’s game Monday night at St. Louis and was not scheduled to pitch against the Blue Jays. Bohm came out of Monday’s game with a dislocated left ring finger.
MAKING CANADA PROUD
Philadelphia’s Rob Thomson became the first Canadian to manage a Major League Baseball game in his home country. Thomson from Sarnia, Ontario, was promoted from his role as bench coach to interim manager after Joe Girardi was fired on June 3. That made Thomson the first Canadian-born manager in the big leagues since Pittsburgh’s George Gibson in 1934.
DERBY DATE
Schwarber, who entered play Tuesday with an NL-high 28 home runs, said he’ll participate in next week’s All-Star Home Run Derby.
“He pretty much does a home run derby every day,” Thomson said.
ONE-DERFUL
The Blue Jays are 20-14 in one-run games. Toronto’s 20 wins in one-run games leads the majors.
NOT SO ONE-DERFUL
Philadelphia is 9-15 in one-run games. The Phillies are the NL’s second-worst team in one-run games. Only San Francisco (10-18) is worse.
CATCH OF THE DAY
Blue Jays CF George Springer made a diving catch on the warning track to retire Schwarber for the first out of the fifth. Berríos tipped his cap in appreciation of the fine grab.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: Thomson said INF Alec Bohm, who dislocated his left ring finger on a slide Monday, is still in pain but that the swelling has subsided.
Blue Jays: RHP Kevin Gausman (right ankle) threw a bullpen session before the game and hopes to return during the upcoming series against Kansas City. Gausman has not pitched since taking a 100 mile per hour line drive off his ankle on July 2.
ROSTER MOVES
Phillies: Philadelphia recalled C Rafael Marchan and selected RHP Nick Duron from Triple-A Lehigh Valley as substitute players. Bohm, RHP Gibson, RHP Nola and C Realmuto were placed on the restricted list. Nola cannot be replaced this series. Gibson, who pitched Saturday, can be replaced Wednesday. The four restricted list players will rejoin the Phillies in Miami, where a three-game series against the Marlins begins Friday.
Blue Jays: Toronto activated C Danny Jansen (fractured finger) off the injured list and optioned C Gabriel Moreno to Triple-A Buffalo.
UP NEXT
Phillies RHP Zack Wheeler (8-4, 2.46) starts Wednesday against Blue Jays RHP Ross Stripling (4-3, 3.34). Wheeler hasn’t allowed a run in either of his past two starts, tossing seven scoreless innings in back-to-back wins over St. Louis.
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