Two late homers lead Jays to sweep of Nationals
TORONTO — Teoscar Hernandez and Yangervis Solarte hit backto-back solo homers in the eighth inning as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Washington Nationals, 8-6, on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep of their interleague baseball series.
Hernandez showed no ill effects from being hit by a pitch earlier in the game, blasting the ball over the left-field wall to give Toronto a 7-6 lead.
Solarte hit a homer to the opposite side of the park in the next at bat for the game’s final score.
Invigorated by the back-toback home runs, the 35,146 at Rogers Centre began chanting “Let’s go Blue Jays!” despite the sweltering heat in the stadium.
A heat warning had been issued for southern Ontario earlier in the day, with temperatures reaching 30 C without humidity.
Randal Grichuk went 3 for 4 on the day, including two home runs and four runs batted in for Toronto (33-38), but he was overshadowed by his teammates’ late game heroics.
Starting pitcher Sam Gaviglio struck out six and allowed three runs — two earned — over four innings. Joe Biagini had two runs charged to him in 1 1/3 innings, while Seunghwan Oh and John Axford combined for 1 2/3 of scoreless relief. Tyler Clippard gave up a run in his 2/3 of an inning, followed by Ryan Tepera’s scoreless four outs. Tepera (4-2) earned the win.
Brian Goodwin led Washington’s (37-31) offence with two hits and two RBIs. Michael Taylor went 3 for 4 with two runs and four stolen bases.
Tanner Roark gave up four runs on eight hits in four innings of work and the Nationals bullpen did fare much better.
Shawn Kelley gave up Grichuk’s second home run in his two-thirds of an inning. Tim Collins threw a scoreless inning, but Justin Miller gave up a run and Ryan Madson (1-3) took the loss after giving up the homers to Hernandez and Solarte.
Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin and Gaviglio struggled defensively in the second inning. Michael Taylor singled and then stole second, scoring on Wilmer Difo’s single. Difo then stole second, advanced to third on a Martin error and scored when Gaviglio balked to give Washington a 2-0 lead.
Grichuk got one back for Toronto in the bottom of the inning, putting the first pitch he saw into the second deck.
The Nationals eked out another run in the third inning, with Antohny Rendon scoring from second on Daniel Murphy’s single to centre field. Kevin Pillar’s throw home was off the mark, but Martin got the ball back to second base where Toronto shortstop Aledmys Diaz tagged Murphy out.
Pillar hit a two-out double to deep left field in the third, plating Solarte and advancing Kendrys Morales to third base to cut Washington’s lead to one. Martin drew a walk in the next at bat to load the bases, before Grichuk worked the count and earned a walk to send Solarte home and tie the game 3-3.
In the next at bat, Morales had a base hit to short, allowing Granderson to score, move Hernandez to third and give the Blue Jays their first lead of the game.
Grichuk hit his second homer of the game in the fifth, marking the third multihomer game of his career.
Goodwin doubled off the wall in centre-right field in the sixth inning to drive in Taylor and make it 5-4.
Two at-bats later, pinch-hitter Adam Eaton showed he was bunting in the first pitch he faced, but then stroked a double down the left-field line to drive Goodwin home and tie the game 5-5. Difo was gunned down at third base by Hernandez on the play for the second out of the sixth inning.
Grichuk struck again in the seventh, singling to the outfield to cash in Pillar from third base and restore Toronto’s lead.
Goodwin tied it back up in the top of the eighth, hitting a single to left field. Juan Soto scored from second base and Goodwin took advantage of the throw to advance a base. That set up Hernandez and Solarte’s decisive homers.