Kevin Gausman struck out 11, Matt Chapman hit a two-run home run and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 on Thursday afternoon.
Bo Bichette added a solo home run for the Blue Jays, who took two of three from the Brewers. The Blue Jays won their second successive series after losing three series in a row.
Gausman (4-3) allowed no runs, five hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings.
The Brewers have dropped five of their last seven games in losing their past two series.
Milwaukee starter Freddy Peralta (5-5) allowed three runs, six hits and two walks while striking out three in six innings.
The Blue Jays scored all three of their runs in the first inning. Bichette hit his 12th homer of the season with a one-out blast to center. Daulton Varsho singled with two outs and Chapman hit his eighth homer of the season on a drive to right.
Gausman struck out six of his first eight batters. He also had some help from his defense. Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier made a superb diving catch on the warning track in right center on Andruw Monasterio to end the second inning.
Monasterio led off the seventh with a single to center against Gausman. The next hitter, Brice Turang, bounced to first to start a 3-6-3 double play. Gausman, at 115 pitches, was replaced by Erik Swanson, who got the final out of the inning with a flyout.
Trevor Megill replaced Peralta in the bottom of the seventh and worked around a two-out single.
Swanson returned for the eighth inning and retired the side in order.
Milwaukee’s Elvis Peguero allowed a leadoff single to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the bottom of the eighth but Varsho grounded into a double play. Chapman walked, Whit Merrifield blooped a single and Cavan Biggio walked to load the bases, but Kiermaier struck out to end the threat.
In the ninth, Jordan Romano allowed a leadoff triple to right center by Rowdy Tellez on a drive that eluded Kiermaier. William Contreras walked, and Brian Anderson grounded into a double play that scored Tellez.
But Romano completed his 13th save of the season with a strikeout of Monasterio.
–Field Level Media
