Blue Jays hang on to beat D-Backs after blowing 7-run lead
PHOENIX (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a go-ahead solo homer, Kevin Kiermaier added a grand slam and the Toronto Blue Jays recovered from blowing a seven-run lead to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 8-7 on Sunday.
Guerrero’s homer in the seventh came off reliever Kevin Ginkel (6-2), who had his scoreless streak of 10 2/3 innings snapped. The Blue Jays avoided a sweep after dropping the first two games of the series.
“You’ve got to stay focused,” Guerrero said through an interpreter. “If they tie the game like they did, you can’t lose your concentration. I stayed focused, had a big at-bat and helped the team.”
Guerrero and Ernie Clement each had three hits. Genesis Cabrera, Trevor Richards (2-1), Ryan Burr, Brendon Little and Chad Green combined to throw 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.
Green got his sixth save, working around Christian Walker’s two-out single.
“That was a weird game,” Toronto manager John Schneider said.
The D-backs trailed 7-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth before a seven-run eruption, highlighted by Ketel Marte’s grand slam and Eugenio Suarez’s tying, two-run single. Toronto’s Yusei Kikuchi gave up all seven runs.
Marte’s homer left his bat at 109.8 mph and traveled 443 feet, hitting the batter’s eye high above the center field wall. The All-Star second baseman had three hits.
The Blue Jays tagged Arizona ace Zac Gallen for seven runs, including six earned, over 3 2/3 innings.
“We fall behind, but the guys didn’t shut down and that’s just one of the great characteristics of this team,” D-backs manager Torey Lovullo said. “They’re hungry. They wanted to go out there and fight their way back into the game.”
Toronto appeared to take an insurmountable lead in the fourth, scoring six runs for a 7-0 advantage. Guerrero, Danny Jansen, Daulton Varsho and Clement started the inning with four straight singles before Leo Jimenez drew a walk to load the bases. Up next was Kiermaier, who turned on the first pitch he saw and launched it into the right-field seats.
It was Kiermaier’s fourth homer of the season. The 34-year-old — a four-time Gold Glover — has had a largely disappointing season so far and was placed on waivers Thursday.
“He’s a baseball player, a veteran guy who understands the business of it,” Schneider said. “That’s a big swing. Kevin’s been doing that his whole career. Overcoming things. The last couple of days are another example of that.”
Gallen has struggled over his last three starts, giving up 13 earned runs over 13 innings. He gave up nine hits and a walk on Sunday, striking out one.
Kikuchi cruised through his first four innings before major trouble in the fifth. Jake McCarthy was the first batter of the inning, reaching on an infield single after Guerrero’s throw to Kikuchi sailed behind the pitcher as he tried to cover first base.
Kikuchi appeared slightly shaken up after the play and could never recover. He was taken out after facing 10 batters in the fifth. The left-hander gave up the seven runs on six hits and three walks over 4 2/3 innings, striking out six.
“After that play, I took some time to regroup,” Kikuchi said through an interpreter. “It took a lot out of me. I felt like a lost my rhythm and balance.”
The Blue Jays took advantage of an error by Arizona shortstop Geraldo Perdomo in the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. Varsho led off with a triple down the right-field line and then scored when Perdomo couldn’t handle Clement’s ground ball.
Schneider was ejected in the seventh by home plate umpire Gabe Morales for arguing about Varsho’s check swing that was called a strike.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: Host Detroit on Friday night.
Diamondbacks: At the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
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