Blue Jays season-best 14 games over .500 after series sweep

Sun, Sep 4, 2022
MLB News (AP)

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Teoscar Hernandez delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning and the Toronto Blue Jays edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.

Hernandez lined a shot up the middle against Duane Underwood Jr. (1-5) with two outs to push Toronto in front and the bullpen did the rest. The Blue Jays improved to a season-best 14 games over .500 to maintain their hold on the third and final wild-card spot in the American League.

Toronto begins a four-game series against Baltimore, which is chasing Toronto for a postseason berth, starting Monday at Camden Yards.

Hernandez and Christian Kirk had two hits apiece for Toronto, which has won five of six and 12 of 17. Cavan Biggio hit his fifth home of the season and second in five days for the Blue Jays.

Ross Stripling (7-4) allowed three runs on two hits with three walks and eight strikeouts in six innings. Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano collected his 30th save.

Rookie shortstop Oneil Cruz hit his 12th home run for the Pirates, and Josh VanMeter added a two-run double for Pittsburgh, but the Pirates mustered little else.

ROCKIES 8, REDS 4, GAME 1

CINCINNATI (AP) - Charlie Blackmon's pinch-hit two-run single highlighted a four-run seventh for Colorado, and C.J. Cron hit a two-run homer in the ninth to give the Rockies a win over Cincinnati in the first game of a doubleheader.

Rookie left-hander Nick Lodolo tied a career-high with nine strikeouts, TJ Friedl homered twice and Jonathan India hit a two-run homer for Cincinnati. Joe Kuhnel (2-3) took the loss.

Rockies starter German Marquez (8-10) allowed just one hit through the first five innings - Friedl's solo homer to lead off the fourth. Friedl went deep off Marquez again in the sixth for his first career multi-home run game.

The Reds got back within one on India's two-run homer off Carlos Esteves in the eighth. But Cron slammed the door with his 25th home run, a two-run shot off Art Warren.

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