Chris Bassitt’s nine strikeouts in seven innings and a three-run homer by Alejandro Kirk led the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extended his hitting streak to 18 games with a single to right field that started a five-run drive in the sixth inning in front of 35,050 fans at Rogers Centre.
The win snapped the Blue Jays’ two-game losing streak and ended the Orioles’ two-game winning streak.
Bassitt (9-10) retired the first 16 batters he faced. He walked Ryan O’Hearn in the top of the second inning, but the Blue Jays immediately turned it into a double play.
The 17the The batter was Jackson Holiday and he hit the ball 410 feet from home plate for his third long ball of the season.
Bassitt’s 100-pitch performance ended in the eighth inning. He gave up an opener to Adley Rutschman and back-to-back singles to Ryan Mountcastle and Eloy Jimenez.
Jays reliever Genesis Cabrera gave up a run but then retired the next three players. Chad Green pitched a flawless ninth to pick up his ninth save of the season.
Daulton Varsho made another spectacular catch, crashing into the right-center field wall on a fly ball hit by Orioles star shortstop Gunnar Henderson in the seventh.
Outfielder Joey Loperfido, newly acquired from the Houston Astros, also made two dazzling catches in the first and third innings.
The Blue Jays sent nine batters to the plate in the sixth. After Kirk’s homer off Gregory Soto (2-5), a double by Addison Barger produced two more runs.
Grayson Rodriguez was supposed to start for the Orioles, but the 13-win season starter felt upper back and shoulder soreness during warmups and withdrew himself.
Right-handed pitcher Albert Suarez took his place. He allowed just two hits and two walks in five scoreless innings. He also struck out six batters.