Guerrero's dramatic three-run blast carries Blue Jays to series win over Bosox

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The Blue Jays have unlocked the power of the three-run homer.

Conspicuous by its absence for virtually all of the young season, a three-run blast off the bat of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the eighth inning of Thursday’s game against the visiting Boston Red Sox — the second in as many games for the Jays — proved the difference in a 4-2 comeback win as Toronto took the series, 2-1.

One night earlier, a three-run blast by Anthony Santander allowed the Jays to come back from a 6-0 hole and win in extra innings.

In two games, the Jays have gone deep five times resulting in 10 runs.The big boppers, Santander and Guerrrero, have come to life, as has Daulton Varsho who homered in each of the past two games.

Once Bo Bichette, who remains homerless, can find his swing, baseball life promises to get more rewarding for a Jays team that improved to 15-16, including an 8-6 record against AL East rivals.

The only divisional foe Toronto has yet to play is Tampa, which will be in town for a three-game set in two weeks when the Jays return from a West Coast trip.

The following are three takeaways from the rubber match of the three-game series.

1. Berrios and the Bosox

In his seventh start of the season, Jose Berrios faced Boston for the second time.

His first came at Fenway Park on April 7 when Berrios earned the win, his first of the season, in a 6-2 Toronto victory.

Berrios did not give up a homer, only to surrender three long balls in his next two starts. He did pitch well in his most recent start in the Bronx, a no-decision.

Against the Bosox Thursday, Berrios gave up a hit deep into the hole on the left side of the infield on the game’s first pitch.

Boston began the second inning by reaching base on an infield hit.

In the third, an actual hit into the outfield allowed Boston to put its third runner on base in three successive innings.

Berrios had his first clean inning in the fourth, despite a bobble by Barger on a ground ball he allowed to get into his body. A swinging strike to end the frame gave Berrios six Ks through four innings.

The game’s first moment of drama arrived in the top of the fifth when Alex Bregman stepped up to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded.

Berrios went ahead of the count 0-1 and then served up a two-run double Bregman laced into the left-field corner, the one and only pitch Berrios would regret in 6.2 solid innings.

In 13.2 combined innings against the Red Sox this season, Berrios yielded a total of three earned runs.

2. Clean slate

When he joined the Jays two years ago following a trade with the D’backs, Varsho was inserted into the cleanup hole on opening day, a role Brandon Belt would have filled had he been healthy.

Fast forward to Thursday and Varsho was in the No. 4 hole, one day after he went yard for his first homer of the season in his second game following a long recovery from off-season shoulder surgery.

Whether it was his highlight reel catch in deep centre in his season debut or his long ball the next night, his presence has given the club a much-needed jolt of enthusiasm. He also provides length to the Jays’ lineup, a starting look that did not feature George Springer or struggling Andres Gimenez in the series finale.

Varsho’s presence is unmistakable, on and off the field.

While nowhere near as spectacular as Tuesday’s gem, the Gold Glover did crash into the wall on a leaping catch in straight-away centre to make the final out in the first inning that saved a run.

3. Kirk beams

Alejandro Kirk has, in essence, won two games.

In New York, his strong right arm and an ability to step up in the ninth by driving in two runs, including the go-ahead run, in a win over the Yankees.

Wednesday night, he went deep and was responsible for the Jays’ walk-off win over the Bosox in the 10th inning on a line drive he stroked into left field.

In Thursday’s series finale, Kirk moved up one spot in the order and hit in the No. 5 hole, while catching Berrios.

It remains to be seen when Kirk will be behind the plate for Erik Swanson, the Jays’ veteran right-handed reliever who was scheduled to pitch at single-A Tuesday, but felt some soreness while throwing.

Swanson is in Toronto where an MRI showed no structural damage, which is always good.

As for the bad, his status lacks clarity other than a second opinion will be explored.

Clearly, Kirk has found his footing at the plate.

In his first plate appearance Thursday, he sent a liner off the wall on the fly in left field for a single, his fourth hard-hit line drive in the past four at-bats.

Up next

Cleveland Guardians come to town for a weekend series beginning Friday night; any visit is a celebration of the Naylor brothers; the Canadian tandem was split up when the Guardians traded Josh Naylor to Arizona back in December, leaving his younger sibling, Bo, to bask in the Mississauga spotlight; Bo Naylor went deep in back-to-back wins over visiting Minnesota to give the catcher four on the season entering Thursday’s play to match Josh’s season total.