Addison Barger hit a go-ahead three-run homer to highlight a six-run eighth inning on Sunday afternoon as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Athletics 8-4.
Barger’s home run against Justin Sterner (1-2) was his third of the four-game series to help Toronto earn a sweep of the Athletics and capture their fifth straight series overall.
The Blue Jays’ Ernie Clement was 2-for-4 on Sunday to finish with 11 hits in the four-game set.
Jacob Wilson was 4-for-4 with a sacrifice fly for the Athletics, who have lost 17 of 18.
The Athletics scored once in the first against Kevin Gausman. Lawrence Butler walked, took third when Wilson bounced a single to right and scored on Tyler Soderstrom’s groundout to first.
Soderstrom was ejected after disputing a called third strike in the third inning.
The Athletics scored twice in the fifth to seize a 3-0 lead. Wilson and Brent Rooker led off with singles and advanced on Logan Davidson’s sacrifice. Luis Urias lined a two-run double to left to chase Gausman, who allowed three runs, eight hits and two walks while striking out seven in 4 2/3 innings.
Toronto scored twice in the fifth against left-hander JP Sears. Myles Straw singled, took second when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was hit by a pitch and scored on George Springer’s single to left. Alejandro Kirk lined an RBI double to left, but Springer was ruled out at third after a video review showed he was tagged with his foot off the bag while bouncing up and down.
Mitch Spence replaced Sears, who allowed two runs and seven hits with three strikeouts in five innings.
Toronto reliever Eric Swanson (1-0), who was activated from the injured list on Sunday after dealing with a right median nerve entrapment, allowed a run in the eighth. Willie MacIver singled, Denzel Clarke was hit by a pitch and, after a double steal, Wilson hit a sacrifice fly to right.
Sterner surrendered the lead in the eighth. Springer reached on catcher interference, Kirk singled and Barger homered to right-center on a first-pitch fastball to give Toronto a 5-4 edge. Clement doubled to chase Sterner in favor of Grant Holman, who gave up Nathan Lukes’ RBI single and Guerrero’s two-run double to cap the rally.
Guerrero finished 2-for-4 to extend his on-base streak to 32 games.
–Field Level Media
