Braves’ Markakis hits walkoff HR after opting into season

Mark Melancon (1-0) pitched a perfect ninth.

Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer in the first off Toronto rookie Nate Pearson.

Bo Bichette hit a homer in the fourth for the Blue Jays.

Right-hander Touki Toussaint gave the depleted Atlanta rotation a boost by setting career highs with his 6 2/3 innings and nine strikeouts.

Toussaint left the game with a 3-2 lead, but Blue Jays pinch-hitter Teoscar Hernández singled up the middle off Tyler Matzek to drive in Rowdy Tellez to tie the game. Toussaint gave up four hits and three runs with no walks.

Pearson, making his second start, allowed three runs on two hits in five innings.

Marcell Ozuna didn’t look happy when a 96 mph fastball from Pearson sailed above his head in the fourth. Ozuna answered by lining a single to left field with an exit velocity of 110 mph.

Ozuna moved to second on Pearson’s wild pitch to Nick Markakis, whose grounder to first advanced Ozuna to third. Adam Duvall’s fly ball to left field drove in Ozuna for a 3-1 lead.

An apparent roster snafu forced the Toronto Blue Jays to change their pitching plans in the game.

The team optioned right-hander Jacob Waguespack to the team’s alternate training site before the game to reach the 28-man roster limit. Manager Charlie Montoyo said before the game Waguespack was recalled when right-hander Trent Thornton was placed on the 10-day injured list.

That move apparently was not made official, leaving Waguespack off the active roster. Montoyo tried to bring in Waguespack to open the sixth. Following a chat with home plate umpire Alan Porter, Waguespack left the field without making a pitch and Montoyo instead brought in Rafael Dolis.

DOWN TO 28

The Braves activated LHP Will Smith from his rehabilitation assignment. Smith, who signed a $39 million, three-year deal, missed the summer camp following a positive test for the coronavirus.

OF Scott Schebler was designated for assignment while RHP Chad Sobotka and C Alex Jackson were optioned to the club’s alternate training site as the team reduced its roster to 28 players. The Braves outrighted LHP Chris Rusin, who was designated for assignment on Tuesday, to the alternate site.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: Thornton has right elbow inflammation and won’t make Saturday’s scheduled start at Boston. Montoyo hasn’t named a fill-in starter for Thornton, who allowed one run in four innings and received no decision in his first start at Washington on July 27. INF Santiago Espinal was optioned to the alternate training site.

Braves: Smith was activated instead of pitching in a simulated game at the team’s alternate site, as had been planned. “He was raring to go so shoot, why not give him a real inning?” said manager Brian Snitker. “A guy with his experience, if he tells us he’s good and ready to go then I trust him.”

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: RHP Tanner Roark (1-0, 1.80) will start as Toronto opens a weekend series at Boston against RHP Ryan Weber (0-2, 11.57).

Braves: RHP Kyle Wright (0-1, 7.50), whose role becomes more important following ace starter Mike Soroka’s season-ending injury this week, will face RHP Vince Velasquez (0-0, 12.00) in the opening game of a four-game series at Philadelphia. It is the start of Atlanta’s nine-game road trip.

___

More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Charles Odum, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Braves’ Markakis hits walkoff HR after opting into season

Our Community