TORONTO – The Toronto Blue Jays bounced back from their four-game sweep against the Texas Rangers with the help of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. His three-run homer secured a 3-0 victory for the Blue Jays over the Boston Red Sox on Friday, breaking their losing streak. While the sweep against the Rangers knocked the Blue Jays out of a wild-card berth, this win keeps them in contention with the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners.
“The key is to leave everything in the past,” said Guerrero through translator Hector Lebron. “I mean, you can at least forget about it. It’s a new day, and I’m staying positive and working hard.”
The Blue Jays are now only half a game behind the Seattle Mariners for the third and final AL wild-card spot. The Mariners suffered a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday. The Blue Jays are also one-and-a-half games behind the Texas Rangers, who hold the second wild-card berth, after their 12-3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians.
“I think we’re in a good position right now,” said Guerrero. “Looking at the schedules for Texas and Seattle, they have to play six or seven games against each other, which works in our favor. We just need to stay positive, work hard, and aim for more victories.”
José Berríos had an impressive performance, striking out eight batters over seven scoreless innings and allowing five hits. Relievers Jordan Hicks and Jordan Romano, both from Markham, Ont., secured the win for Toronto. Romano earned his 35th save of the year.
Guerrero’s 23rd home run of the season gave the Blue Jays a 3-0 lead in the third inning. The 400-foot hit to deep left field scored Daulton Varsho and Bo Bichette. This was Guerrero’s second home run in as many games.
“When you can hit a home run with runners on base, it’s a momentum shifter,” said Toronto manager John Schneider. “With our pitching staff, it becomes easier to maintain that level of focus and energy.”
Berríos continued to showcase his precision on the mound, striking out three consecutive Red Sox batters in the fourth inning. Hicks kept the Red Sox scoreless in the eighth, and Romano finished the game with a strikeout.
In a pre-game ceremony, Guerrero was named the Toronto Blue Jays nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, which recognizes players who demonstrate sportsmanship, community involvement, and contribution to their team. The award is named after Roberto Clemente, a player who tragically passed away in a plane crash while delivering emergency aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.
The Blue Jays will face the Red Sox again, with Chris Bassitt starting for Toronto and Chris Sale pitching for Boston.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on September 15, 2023.
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