Daulton Varsho goes really, really deep as Blue Jays rock Rockies again with five home runs

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The hit parade wasn’t as extensive as Monday’s rout of the Rockies and neither was the evening’s lopsided outcome.

But the Blue Jays made the most of their 14 hits on Tuesday night at Coors Field,  unleashing five home runs — two by Daulton Varsho, who also went deep on Monday — en route a 10-4 victory that was actually closer than the score would suggest.

In the sixth inning, the Jays broke it open with four runs — on three homers — to take a 7-2 lead. The highlight of the wild inning, and the night, was Varsho’s second homer, a two-run shot that rocketed off the third level of stands and was measured at 467 feet. That made it the longest home run hit by a Blue Jay this season, bettering the 451-foot blast Varsho hit on Monday. Maybe there is something to this thin air in the Mile HIgh City.

Varsho continued his torrid return to the lineup by going 3-for-5 with six RBIs.

The AL East leading Jays go for the series sweep Wednesday knowing a date in L.A. looms against the reigning World Series champion Dodgers, knowing the red-hot Boston Red Sox are nipping on their heels, still three games back.

The following are three takeaways on a night Joey Loperfido was hit by a 98-m.p.h. fastball flush off his right knee; he was in clear pain and walked off the field with the aid of manager John Schneider and a member of the team’s training staff.

1. Longball Berrios

At some point, Jose Berrios will have to address his Achilles heel. For the fifth time in his past five starts, Berrios yielded a homer, a two-run blast in the first inning. It was the 20th home run Berrios has given up in 24 starts.

One of his strengths is an ability to bounce back when adversity strikes and he retired the side in order in the second inning.

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In the third, the Rockies had the leadoff hitter on base following an Addison Barger fielding error at third base. The inning ended when Berrios picked off a runner at second base.

In the sixth, Berrios hit a batter and had runners at second and third after the Rockies pushed across one run to make it a 7-3 game. It was 7-4 when Berrios was pulled with the tying run at the plate.

In 5.1 innings, Berrios gave up four runs on seven hits.

The home run didn’t help and neither did the hit batter to Jordan Beck, resulting in Beck and Berrios to exchange words before Schneider left the dugout to settle things down.

A fifth run would have been charged to Berrios, but the Jays turned a double play to end the sixth.

2. Vlad’s misery ends

Almost lost in Monday’s pasting was Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s reaction following a poor at-bat. For those who may have missed it, he broke his bat, which only magnified his frustration.

While Bo Bichette posted a career night by driving in six runs and going deep twice, Vladdy basically did nothing other than extend his consecutive on-base streak, going 1-for-5, the only starter not to get at least two hits.

After Nathan Lukes nearly went yard to begin Tuesday’s game, Bichette reached base on a single. Guerrero promptly hit into an inning-ending double play. No bats were broken this time.

But he finally joined the power party in the sixth inning. Getting the green light to swing away on a 3-0 count, Guerrero redirected an Anthony Molina fastball 398 feet to right for his 17th long ball of the season. Vladdy wound up going 3-for-5 with two RBIs.

Addison Barger followed Guerrero’s homer with one of his own. Alejandro Kirk followed with a walk and Varsho’s moonshot made it three homers in four batters.

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3. Ty one on

Ty France was the designated hitter on Tuesday. But what made his role so unique is where the newest Jay hit in the order.

It’s not every day a team has its DH bat ninth, but that’s precisely where France found himself.

France’s first plate appearance came with one out in the third inning in a 2-0 game. He looked a tad uncomfortable when facing Anthony Molina, but he did foul off a tough pitch on a 2-2 count before France grounded out to short.

He wound up going 0-for-4.

Up next

Jays wrap up their three-game stay in Denver with Wednesday’s 3:10 p.m. first pitch; Colorado native Kevin Gausman (7-8, 3.99 ERA) is Toronto’s scheduled starter, no stranger to the ballpark having pitched at the venue when he attended Grandview High School in Aurora, Colo., about 32 kms from the Mile High City; Gausman appeared in his first MLB all-star game in his home state; in 2023 when the Jays last visited Coors Field, he went 4.0 innings in a 7-5 Toronto win; Rockies will counter with a fellow Colorado native in LHP Kyle Freeland (2-11, 5.26 ERA).vars