Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a three-run home run, left-hander Yusei Kikuchi pitched six strong innings and the Toronto Blue Jays held on to defeat the visiting Baltimore Orioles 6-5 on Thursday afternoon.
The Blue Jays won their second game in a row to gain a split of the four-game series with the Orioles and complete a 4-3 homestand.
Adley Rutschman hit two home runs — a solo shot and a two-run blast — for the Orioles and Ryan O’Hearn added a two-run pinch-hit homer. The switch-hitting Rutschman went deep from both sides of the plate in his second multi-homer game of the season.
Kikuchi (3-5) allowed one run, four hits and one walk with six strikeouts in six innings in his first win for the Blue Jays since April 22.
Baltimore left-hander Cade Povich (0-1) made his major-league debut and allowed six runs, five hits and four walks while striking out two in 5 1/3 innings.
Toronto took a 3-0 lead in the third. Ernie Clement walked with one out and Danny Jansen walked with two outs. Guerrero hit his seventh homer of the season, and the second of the series, on a drive to right.
Toronto scored another run in the fourth on consecutive two-out bloop hits to right field. Daulton Varsho’s flare dropped among three indecisive fielders for a double. He scored on Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s popup that fell just beyond the reach of first baseman Ryan Mountcastle.
Rutschman hit a blast to left center with one out in the sixth to extend his hitting streak to 10 games.
Povich allowed a one-out single to Justin Turner followed by a walk to Varsho in the sixth before Dillon Tate replaced him. The runners advanced on a groundout before Clement stroked a two-run single to left to give Toronto a 6-1 lead.
Rutschman hit his 12th homer of the season on a drive to right center again in the eighth against Zach Pop following a two-out walk to Jordan Westburg.
Yimi Garcia picked up his fourth save despite hitting Austin Hays with a pitch with two out in the ninth and allowing O’Hearn’s eighth homer of the season.
Toronto failed to score in the first inning for the 28th consecutive game.
Baltimore optioned left-hander Nick Vespi to Triple-A Norfolk to make room for Povich, who had been promoted from Norfolk.
–Field Level Media
