TORONTO – Held off the scoreboard Sunday in a 1-0 loss to the Yankees, the Toronto Blue Jays bounced back with their biggest offensive outburst of the season.
Brandon Drury hit his first career grand slam, Justin Smoak had a two-run homer among his three extra-base hits, and the Blue Jays routed the Texas Rangers 19-4 Monday.
“As a team, I felt like we were always going to be able to hit,” Smoak said. “Over the past month or so, we’ve definitely been able to do that. I feel like we have the right guys here who are capable of doing some crazy things.”
Bo Bichette had the first four-hit game of his young career and Randal Grichuk had three hits, including a solo homer, as the Blue Jays pounded out a team record 13 extra-base hits and won for the 10th time in 15 games.
“We’re playing really good ball right now,” Bichette said. “Everybody is competing really well. It’s really fun.”
Drury had five RBIs, while Smoak and Grichuk each had four.
Blanked for the ninth time this season a day earlier against New York’s Masahiro Tanaka and Aroldis Chapman, the Blue Jays responded with season-highs in runs and hits (21) against six Rangers pitchers.
After Rafael Montero struck out the side in the seventh, catcher Jeff Mathis took the mound for Texas in the eighth and gave up a two-run home run to Danny Jansen.
“Once Montero pitched, I didn’t really want anybody else to pitch,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. “It saved us from having to use another arm. It’s huge.”
Nomar Mazara, Willie Calhoun and Rougned Odor hit solo home runs but Texas lost by 11 or more runs for the third time this season. The 19 runs allowed by the Rangers matched a season-worst.
Yankees 8, Orioles 5 (1st)
Yankees 11, Orioles 8 (2nd)
In New York, Gleyber Torres belted three more home runs, including a pair of three-run drives in the night game that gave him 13 of the Yankees’ record 59 long balls against Baltimore this season, and the hosts completed a doubleheader sweep.
New York’s winning streak against the Orioles is 14 games.
Gio Urshela had six hits in the twinbill, including a 140.5-meter blast in the opener.
Torres set a big league record with his fifth multihomer game against a team in a season, breaking a tie with Ralph Kiner (1947), Gus Zernial (1951) and Roy Sievers (1955). His 26 homers are two more than his total as a rookie last year, and the 13 against Baltimore matched Roger Maris in 1961 against Cleveland for the second-most against one team in a season by a Yankees player, one behind Lou Gehrig’s total in 1936 versus the Indians.
Brett Gardner hit a three-run triple off Ty Blach (0-1) in the first inning of the night game and Mike Ford had a solo homer.
Indians 6, Red Sox 5
In Cleveland, Carlos Santana homered leading off the ninth to send the Indians to a victory over fast-fading Boston and back into first place in the AL Central.
Nationals 7, Reds 6
In Washington, Trea Turner and Matt Adams homered, Erick Fedde pitched well after allowing a solo shot on the game’s first pitch and the depleted hosts held on to edge Cincinnati.
Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 6
In Denver, Jake Lamb, Nick Ahmed and Carson Kelly homered during a four-run sixth and Arizona prevailed against Colorado.
Merrill Kelly (8-12) allowed four of his six runs in the first inning as he earned his first victory since June 12.
Yoshihisa Hirano picked up his 13th hold, working one scoreless inning. He allowed one hit and a walk while striking out two.
Pirates 10, Angels 2
In Anaheim, Mitch Keller earned his first major league victory and Jacob Stallings had a homer and a two-run double as Pittsburgh snapped its eight-game losing streak.
Los Angeles designated hitter Shohei Ohtani went 1-for-5 in the loss.
Rays 10, Padres 4
In San Diego, Avisail Garcia had a two-run home run among his three hits and Matt Duffy had four hits and three RBIs for Tampa Bay in its first game in San Diego since 2004.
Astros at White Sox — ppd.
Source : Baseball – The Japan Times