Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drives in six runs to power Blue Jays past Yankees 9-3
Toronto Blue Jays Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits a three run double during sixth inning American League MLB baseball action against the New York Yankees, in Toronto, Saturday, June 29, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
TORONTO — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run homer and drove in four more runs with a pair of doubles as the Toronto Blue Jays bounced back with a 9-3 win over the New York Yankees on Saturday.
Alejandro Kirk had runs batted in with a double and a single as Toronto (38-44) shook off a 16-5 rout from the previous night. Isiah Kiner-Falefa added an RBI single.
Chris Bassitt (7-6) limited the Yankees to one unearned run on six hits and two walks, striking out eight over six innings.
Brendon Little, Zach Pop of Brampton, Ont., and Jose Cuas, in his Blue Jays' debut, came on in relief.
Austin Wells had a two-run homer in the ninth inning for New York (53-32), while Aaron Judge had an RBI single in the fifth.
Nestor Cortes (4-7) lasted 4 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk, striking out five. Jake Cousins, Phil Bickford, Caleb Ferguson and Clay Holmes came out of the Yankees' bullpen, with Bickord coughing up five runs.
It didn't take long for the Blue Jays to get on the scoreboard.
Kiner-Falefa singled past a diving Anthony Volpe to reach base with one out in the first. In the next at bat, Guerrero launched an 82.3 m.p.h. change-up from Cortes 403 feet. The 13th homer of Guerrero's season had an exit velocity of 106.5 m.p.h. and got just over the wall in right-centre field.
Kirk tacked on another run in the fourth inning when he doubled down the first-base line. His basehit was enough to cash in Justin Turner from second base for a 3-0 Toronto lead. It was the 17th RBI of the light-hitting Kirk's season and briefly raised his batting average above .200.
Judge replied for the Yankees in the fifth inning, bouncing a single into shallow centre field to score Volpe from third. Volpe had reached base on a throwing error from Blue Jays third baseman Ernie Clement.
A five-run rally in the sixth helped the Blue Jays pull way ahead of the visitors.
Kirk drove in another run when his single to left gave George Springer ample time to trot home. Kiner-Falefa kept the runs coming four hitters later with a two-out single to left field. That scored pinch-hitter Daulton Varsho for a 5-1 Blue Jays lead.
Guerrero followed Kiner-Falefa to the plate and doubled up the third-base line to send Kirk, Bo Bichette and Kiner-Falefa home to the delight of the 37,448 at Rogers Centre.
The bases-clearing double was the 800th hit of Guerrero's career. He's the eighth fastest player in Blue Jays history to reach the milestone, doing it in 742 games.
Kiner-Falefa and Guerrero combined for another Toronto run in the eighth. Kiner-Falefa was on first after a two-out hit when Guerrero doubled to left, easily sliding into home for a 9-1 Blue Jays lead.
Wells chipped away at that in the ninth, smashing an 81.9 m.p.h. sweeper from Cuas to deep right field. His third homer of the year also scored Gleyber Torres.
BULLPEN WOES — Veteran reliever Tim Mayza was designated for assignment and one-time closer Jordan Romano of Markham, Ont., was shut down with elbow discomfort by the Blue Jays. Mayza was sent to the triple-A Buffalo Bisons, with right-hander Cuas recalled to take his place.
SO LONG, SOTO — Yankees slugger Juan Soto was scratched from the lineup less than an hour before the opening pitch. Soto was pulled because of a bruise on his right hand sustained Friday sliding into home plate during the fourth inning of New York's 16-5 rout of Toronto.
ON DECK — A potential pitchers' duel will close out the four-game series on Sunday as Toronto's Kevin Gausman (6-6) takes on New York's Gerritt Cole (0-1).
It will be Cole's second start of the season after he won the 2023 American League Cy Young Award as the league's best pitcher.
Gausman finished third in Cy Young voting last year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 29, 2024.
John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press