The Toronto Blue Jays likely will need more than three hits on Wednesday against the visiting San Diego Padres if they want to clinch a series victory.
But three hits were enough to win the series opener 3-0 on Tuesday because two of them were home runs — a solo shot by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and a two-run blast from Anthony Santander.
The Blue Jays are 3-4 on their nine-game homestand after dropping the first two series, losing two of three games in each series against the Tampa Bay Rays and Detroit Tigers.
Three runs were more than enough, too, on Tuesday against the Padres, who have scored a total of three runs on a four-game losing streak.
The Padres had five hits and were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position Tuesday in the opener of a six-game road trip. They are 0-for-24 with runners in scoring position over the past four games.
“We outhit them, we’ve outhit our opponents the past couple of games,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “We haven’t been able to string anything together. It will turn.”
Jackson Merrill continued his recent drought, going 1-for-4. He is 2-for-23 over his past six games.
The Padres are scheduled to start right-hander Randy Vasquez (3-3, 3.45 ERA) on Wednesday. In one career start, he is 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA against Toronto.
The Blue Jays are expected to counter with right-hander Kevin Gausman (3-4, 4.59) in their attempt to clinch the series. He has a 2-1 record and 3.35 ERA, in eight career games (seven starts) against San Diego.
A couple of streaks will be on the line on Wednesday.
Guerrero was 1-for-3 on Tuesday to extend his on-base streak to 20 games, longest active streak in the majors. He is batting .315 with four homers and nine RBIs during that span.
San Diego’s Luis Arraez was 1-for-4 with a double on Tuesday to extend his hit streak to a season-best seven games (9-for-27, .333).
Toronto’s second hit on Tuesday came in the fifth inning when Anthony Santander lined a flat slider from Dylan Cease for a two-run homer.
“It’s what he does best,” Toronto manager John Schneider said. “I thought he took really good swings today and that was a mistake slider there from Cease.”
Shildt was pleased that Cease completed seven innings for the first time this season.
“It’s always nice to get seven innings from your starter when you’re going into a stretch of games,” Shildt said.
Cease pitched well enough to get better than a loss but he was philosophical about it. He said Padres hitters will turn it around.
“I just feel like it’s part of the game,” Cease said. “It’s a long season and you go through your lulls. But they’re capable of coming out and putting up 10. It’s a difficult game, but I like what we’re at. We’ve played really well this year, and it’ll come back for sure.”
The Blue Jays were glad to get the lead on Guerrero’s first-inning homer instead of falling behind early as they have so often this season. Starter Chris Bassitt’s six strong innings made sure the lead held.
“It’s nice to flip the script a little bit and get out to a lead,” Schneider said.
“When we’re up, it’s better,” Guerrero said. “We think better, and we can go to home plate and try to do some damage.”
–Field Level Media
