Blue Jays return to their winning ways by holding off the A's in Sacramento

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One streak having ended, perhaps another about to erupt, the Blue Jays put aside their loss in the Windy City by taking care of business in Sacramento on Friday night against an Athletics team that put a late-game scare into the visitors.

With two games remaining before the all-star break kicks in, a fresh streak is a strong possibility for the Jays, who have won five in a row this season against the Athletics following Friday’s 7-6 series-opening victory. On Wednesday against the host Chicago White Sox, the Jays’ 10-game win streak was snapped, one shy of tying the franchise record.

Friday’s win allowed the Jays to remain two full games up on the second-place New York Yankees who, earlier in the night, crushed the Chicago Cubs 11-0.

The following are three takeaways on a night the Jays led 7-0 through six innings before the A’s went deep three times and would bring the winning run to the plate in the ninth inning after Jeff Hoffman entered the frame and gave up three runs in a non-save situation.

1. Century man

Only nine players in club history had recorded 1,000 hits. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. became the 10th on Friday.

One game after he struggled at the plate and on the basepaths in a 2-1 loss to the White Sox, Guerrero was finally able to celebrate his statistical milestone.

The moment arrived with one out in the fifth inning when he lashed a single to right-centre against A’s starter Luis Severino, who was giving the Jays all kinds of issues with his pitch mix and velocity.

An elated Vladdy motioned for the milestone baseball to be retrieved. Severino, who took the throw in from the outfield, playfully feigned tossing it into the stands before rolling it to the waiting Jays dugout.

The hit ignited a six-run, five-hit inning for the Jays, while a throwing error by the A’s and a double steal by Toronto added to the damage.

Severino, who recorded eight strikeouts against a Jays team that not does normally whiff all that much, was given the hook following Alejandro Kirk’s two-RBI single that made it 4-0.

2. To the Max

Pitching with the benefit of five days of rest, Max Scherzer’s fifth start of the season looked like it would easily be his best. Flashing his best stuff of the season through five shutout innings, the Hall of Fame-bound right-hander looked like the Scherzer of old, producing eight strikeouts and allowing just two singles and a walk.

Scherzer needed 14 pitches to retire the A’s and 11 in the second inning, setting the tone for what would ensue. This was vintage Scherzer, the ultimate competitor. He completed six innings for the first time this season, but not before the A’s tagged him for three runs — including long homers to  centre by Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom.

Still with a 7-3 lead, Scherzer was left in the game to get the final out of the frame — a flyball by Miguel Andujar — to cap what ultimately was his most encouraging start of the season and by far his best.

3. Minor detail

For the second time this season, the Jays played at a minor-league ballpark. For the first time, they won.

In late-May, the Jays were in Tampa at Steinbrenner Field, the temporary home of the Rays who were forced to relocate from the Trop in St. Pete’s following the devastation caused by Hurricane Milton. The Jays were swept in that three-game series, capped off by a 13-0 beatdown on May 25 that triggered their current surge up the standings.

The Athletics are the second-worst team in the AL and in their first season playing at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, home of the triple-A River Cats, an affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. The change in home venue was needed after their lease ran out at the Oakland Coliseum and is serving as temporary home of the A’s before they eventually relocate to Las Vegas.

The situation has not thrilled many of the 39-57 A’s, including Severino, who is one of the most vocal critics of the 14,000-seat venue, saying it feels as if he is pitching in spring training again.

Up next

RHP Kevin Gausman (6-6, 4.13 ERA) gets the ball for the Blue Jays in his 19th start of the season. In his previous outing, Gausman threw a season-high 107 pitches in 5.2 innings against the visiting L.A. Angels. Gausman’s last road start came in Cleveland on June 26 when he threw 104 pitches in 8.0 innings … LHP Jacob Lopez (2-5, 4.26 ERA) is the scheduled starter for the Athletics (10:05 p.m., first pitch).