TORONTO – Matt Chapman drilled a two-out, two-run homer in the second inning, and Jose Berrios struck out six in seven innings to push the Toronto Blue Jays to a 4-1 win against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
Before a crowd of 40,298 at Rogers Centre, the win allowed the Blue Jays (57-45) to snatch three of four games in the series against the light-hitting Tigers (41-62).
With Teoscar Hernandez on base after a one-out single to left field, Chapman slammed his 20th homer to left for a 2-0 lead.Chapman also singled in the fourth inning and has reached base in 10 straight outings, going 16 for 33 (.485) with five home runs and 12 RBI in this stretch.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. exhibited he’d fully recovered after being hit in the hand with a pitch on Saturday by extending his hit streak to 12 games with an RBI double to left centre in the fifth inning.
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Bo Bichette knocked in Guerrero two hitters later with a double down the left-field line.
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The Tigers’ only run arrived when shortstop Javier Baez led off the fourth inning by taking his brother-in-law deep to right-centre field. Berrios and Baez are married to sisters.
Baez walked in the first after slamming three long fouls down the left-field line that hooked foul at the last moment in a nine-pitch at-bat.Berrios (8-4) went seven sound innings, allowing only three hits and a walk. He picked up his third win in July. His other three starts in the month were no decisions.
The Blue Jays have won 13 straight home games with Berrios starting, a club record surpassing the late Roy Halladay’s 12 in a row in 2007-08.
Toronto closer Jordan Romano enjoyed a clean ninth inning for his American League-leading 24th save.
Detroit starter Garrett Hill (1-3) lasted five innings, yielding four runs on six hits with two walks and a strikeout.
Manoah’s Elbow:
Blue Jays righthanded starter Alek Manoah threw for the first time since being hit on his right elbow by a Jonathan Schoop comebacker on Friday.
Manoah felt fine and expects to make his next scheduled start in Minnesota against the Twins on Thursday.
Up Next:
The Blue Jays don’t play again until an hour after the MLB Tuesday’s trade deadline at 6 p.m. ET when they begin a nine-game trip to Tampa Bay, Minnesota and Baltimore. Toronto’s Kevin Gausman (7-8) will face Rays starter Drew Rasmussen (6-3) in the opener of their two-game set in Tampa Bay.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2022.
© 2022 The Canadian Press
