By Canadian Press

Marte helps lift Diamondbacks over Blue Jays for three-game sweep

Jun 9, 2019 | 2:30 PM

TORONTO — The losses are quickly adding up for the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays suffered an 8-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Rogers Centre on Sunday to be swept for the seventh time in 20 series this season.

Toronto now has lost four in a row and 14-of-17. Only the Kansas City Royals (20-45) and Baltimore Orioles (20-45) have worse records than Toronto’s 23-42.

The Blue Jays began their six-game homestead with successive wins over the New York Yankees, but the growing pains of a young team were evident in the series against Arizona (34-32). Toronto was outscored 22-4 in the interleague three-game set.

“We know if we play our A-game and play well we can beat the best teams in baseball, like the Yankees,” Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo said. “If we don’t play our best we can lose to anybody.

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“We can’t show up with our B-game or C-game. It’s not going to work.”

The Blue Jays are on pace for 57 wins this season, which would be their lowest victory total in a non-strike shortened year since a franchise-low 53 in 1979.

Montoyo has tried to remain upbeat with his young team through these difficult times.

“I’ve been through this before, and I know what it’s like,” he said. “I learned from it. I’m not going to be yelling at people. I don’t want them to get tense. They’re trying their best. That’s all I can ask as their manager.

“And then, I’ll be talking to guys, not as a group, but one-on-one. I’ll be telling them I believe in them because I really do. That’s what I’ve been doing.”

Montoyo recently took aside rookie second baseman Cavan Biggio and catcher Danny Jansen. He urged them to be leaders on the Blue Jays even though their two of the younger players.

Jansen, who’s hitting only .175, responded with a two-hit game. His second-inning double pushed home a run to give Toronto a 2-0 lead.

“It’s a tough game up here,” Jansen said. “You have to learn how to hit up here as well. We’re a team that is going to keep battling, no matter what the standings show or what our record shows. We’re going to keep having joy in the game and keep fighting, and giving it everything we got.”

Lourdes Gurriel Jr., also provided some offence for the Blue Jays with his fifth home run of the season in the first inning. He also doubled in the eighth. But in the third inning, the converted infielder failed to hit the cut-off man on a shot down the line from Diamondbacks right fielder Tim Locastro, which allowed Locastro to easily slide into third base for a bases-loaded triple.

Ketel Marte hit his 15th homer of the season and Carson Kelly hit a two-run as part of an eight-run, 11 at-bat third inning for Arizona.

Diamondbacks starter Robbie Ray (5-3) allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings on 107-pitches. He stuck out 10 to tie Randy Johnson’s franchise record with his third consecutive 10-or-more strikeout game against American League clubs.

Toronto starter Clayton Richard (0-2) did not last long. The left-hander, making his fourth start of the season, yielded seven runs on seven hits in his 70-pitch, 2 2/3 innings.

Notes: Arizona shortstop Nick Ahmed left the game in the third inning with left-foot soreness … Blue Jays rookie third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., was given the day off after his two singles in eight at-bats in the first two games of the series … Toronto has Monday off before hitting the road for three-game series against the Orioles and Houston Astros. Trent Thornton, Edwin Jackson and Marcus Stroman are the Blue Jays scheduled starters for the Baltimore series.

Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian Press