Grichuk drives in 5, Jays beat A’s for series split
— Randal Grichuk homered, doubled and drove in five runs to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 10-4 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Thursday.
Toronto earned a split of the four-game series after dropping the first two games against the AL West leader.
Marcus Semien homered among his four hits, Danny Jansen and Teoscar Hernández each drove in two runs and Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio had three hits apiece for the Blue Jays, who have won five of their past eight road games.
“A four-hit game with a home run? That’s a pretty good game,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said of Semien. “He’s a good hitter like a lot of their guys.”
Mark Canha hit his first career leadoff homer, Sean Murphy drove in two and Matt Olsen added an RBI ground-rule double for the A’s, who have still won 10 of their last 14 at home.
Hyun Jin Ryu (2-2) came off the injured list to start for Toronto. He lasted five innings, allowing four runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out six.
“There was nothing wrong with me,” Ryu said through an interpreter. “I didn’t have to worry about anything physically, so I am pleased. I felt better later in the game.”
Mike Fiers (0-2), in his second start of the season, went 3 1/3 innings, giving up five runs on nine hits. He walked two and struck out two.
“The biggest thing is for me to make pitches with runners on,” Fiers said. “I missed over the plate.”
Grichuk’s three-run blast over the leftfield fence was the first Toronto home run of the series. Jansen added his first of the season and Semien hit a solo shot in the seventh.
“I got to play in front of my mom, dad and grandparents and that’s important to me,” said Semien, who played at Cal before beginning his professional career with the A’s. “I had that support system when I was here. We only come out here once a year now, but maybe we’ll be back for playoffs.”
Two batters before Grichuk’s homer, the A’s recorded a double play in which Fiers struck out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Murphy picked off Bichette at first base.