By Canadian Press

Toronto Blue Jays hit four home runs to anchor 10-8 victory over Oakland Athletics

Sep 4, 2021 | 5:12 PM

TORONTO — Jose Berrios allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings while Toronto batters belted four homer runs as the Blue Jays defeated the Oakland Athletic 10-8 on Saturday.

It was the second straight win over Oakland for Toronto. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Breyvic Valera, Danny Jansen and Teoscar Hernandez all homered for the Blue Jays.

Oakland pulled to within 4-3 with two runs in the seventh but Hernandez belted a three-run homer in Toronto’s half of the inning. It was his 24th of the season and No. 100 of his career.

Gurriel added a bases-loaded clearing double in the eighth.

Oakland’s Mark Canha had a three-run homer in the ninth off Toronto reliever Joakim Soria before Sean Murphy added a two-run shot two batters later. After Soria gave up a walk and three hits to begin the final inning, closer Jordan Romano was summoned from the bullpen.

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But he gave up the homer to Murphy before settling down to record the final three outs.

The Blue Jays (72-62) and Athletics (74-62) began the day five and three games, respectively, behind the Boston Red Sox in the battle for the second wild-card spot in the American League.

Berrios (10-7), who had seven strikeouts, took a no-hitter and 4-0 lead into the fifth. But Athletics third baseman Matt Chapman led off with his 24th of the year to straightaway centre.

The Toronto starter allowed another two runs in the sixth.

Matt Olson led off with a double off the top of the wall in centre field. Berrios struck out the next two batters, but Canha singled to left to score Olson and knock Berrios out of the ball game.

Oakland’s Chad Pinder’s single under the glove of Blue Jays second baseman Marcus Semien scored Canha, who advanced to second on the throw home from Gurriel in his attempt to get Olson.

The only other Berrios blemish was he hit Tony Kemp in the first. But Kemp was erased on his steal attempt by Jansen.

The bad blood between the teams continued from the series opener. Toronto starter Alek Manoah plunked Starling Marte in the head Friday.

Marte was kept out of the Athletics lineup Saturday. Not only was Kemp drilled, so was Hernandez in the fifth and Bo Bichette was hit in the head in the eighth.

Berrios made his seventh start since arriving in Toronto in a trade with the Minnesota Twins on July 30. He became the fourth Blue Jays starter to hit double-digits in wins, joining Hyun Jin Ryu (12), Robbie Ray (10) and Steven Matz (10).

In Friday’s opener, Hernandez, Gurriel and Semien went deep as Toronto overcame a six-run deficit to win 11-10. Gurriel tied the game in the eighth with a grand slam, and Semien hit a three-run walk-off blast in the ninth.

On Saturday, before a sellout of 19,947 fans at Rogers Centre, Gurriel drilled a solo shot to left field in the second. Jansen, who also had two doubles, made it 2-0 with a homer to left in the third.

Toronto third baseman Breyvic Valera belted his first of the year, a two-run shot, in the fourth.

The Blue Jays enjoyed a 15-hit attack. Each Toronto batter checked in with at least a hit, including slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who extended his hit streak to 12 games with an infield hit in the eighth.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2021.

The Canadian Press