Thanks to some solid pitching from Jose Berrios (14-9, 3.59) and a 4 for 4 day from Spencer Horwitz, the Toronto Blue Jays split their series with a 9-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves.
Berrios tossed 6 innings, allowing just one run on five hits, walking one and punching out five, taking his 15th victory of the year. Rookie Spencer Schwellenbach (5-6, 3.69) took the ball for the Braves. The young righty threw 5 innings, allowing six runs (three earned) on 10 hits, walking none and striking out three to take his seventh loss of the year.
The Blue Jays got on the scoreboard first in the top of the 2nd, when Horwitz hit a solo shot to give his squad a 1-0 lead.
The score stayed the same, then Horwitz broke that trend with his 2nd solo shot of the day to double the Toronto lead to 2-0. Back-to-back RBI doubles from Ernie Clement and Joey Loperfido extended the Blue Jays’ lead to 4-0.
Horwitz struck the Braves again in the top of the 6th, smacking an RBI double to give the Blue Jays a 5-0 lead. An RBI from Will Wagner would extend the Toronto lead to 6-0.
The Braves broke the scoreless streak when Michael Harris II drove in one run with an RBI single in the bottom half of the 6th.
Both squads scored seven runs in the 9th to shake things up in Saturday’s ball game. In the top half, an RBI single from Nathan Lukes gave the Blue Jays a 7-1 lead. A fielder’s choice from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would drive in Toronto’s eighth run. An RBI single from Wagner would extend the Blue Jays’ lead to 9-1.
The Braves, however, wouldn’t go away quietly. An RBI single from Jarred Kelenic drove in Atlanta’s second run of the game. Luke Williams would follow up with a two-RBI double to cut the Toronto lead to 9-3. An RBI ground out from Harris would give the Braves their fourth run of the game, but the Blue Jays would hold on for a 9-4 lead.
Yariel Rodriguez (1-6, 4.61) will toe the rubber for the Blue Jays as Chris Sale (16-3, 2.46) will do so for the Braves. The Blue Jays will look to take their series with a win in the finale on Sunday afternoon.
