Right-hander Cal Quantrill allowed one hit in seven shutout innings, Jose Ramirez hit a three-run homer and the visiting Cleveland Guardians defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 8-0 Friday night.
Quantrill, son of former Blue Jays pitcher Paul Quantrill, did not walk a batter and matched a season best with seven strikeouts.
The only hit off Quantrill (9-5) was by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who doubled in the fourth inning to extend his career-best hitting streak to 21 games.
The Guardians have won six in a row and the Blue Jays have lost three straight.
Josh Naylor added a two-run home run for the Guardians in the opener of the three-game series. Ramirez also had a sacrifice fly, and his four RBIs give him 92 for the season.
The Guardians have won four of the first five meetings between the teams this season.
Toronto right-hander Jose Berrios (8-5) allowed eight runs, eight hits and two walks in four innings. He also hit two batters.
The Guardians scored five runs in the third inning. Austin Hedges was hit by a pitch with one out and Will Benson singled to right. Steven Kwan’s bunt hugged the third base line for a single. Amed Rosario hit a two-run single and took second on the late throw to third. Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly, and Naylor followed with his 15th home run of the season.
Ramirez hit his 22nd homer of the season to increase the lead to 8-0 in the fourth. It followed walks to Hedges and Kwan.
Toronto did not have a base runner until Guerrero doubled with one out in the fourth. Quantrill retired the next 11 batters, striking out three of them.
Eli Morgan replaced Quantrill for the eighth inning. He retired his first two batters before Cavan Biggio doubled to right, but Whit Merrifield’s fly ball to left ended the inning.
Nick Sandlin pitched around a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth.
The Guardians recalled right-hander Peyton Battenfield from Triple-A Columbus on Friday and placed right-hander James Karinchak on the restricted list. Karinchak cannot travel to Canada because he has not been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Quantrill is from Port Hope, Ontario, and Naylor is from Mississauga, Ontario.
–Field Level Media
