Alejandro Kirk belted a two-run home run and had three RBIs Saturday afternoon to help the Toronto Blue Jays defeat the visiting Baltimore Orioles 7-3.
The teams have split the first two of the three-game series in their pursuit of an American League playoff spot. The Blue Jays (74-75) entered the day two games back of the third and final AL wild-card spot. The Orioles (72-77) were three back to start the day.
Brett Bateman added a solo shot for the Blue Jays.
Toronto opener Spencer Miles escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first on Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s fly out to the warning track in right.
The Blue Jays took a 2-0 lead against Kyle Bradish (7-14) in the home first. Bateman led off with a walk, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stroked an RBI double to right-center with one out and Kirk followed with an RBI single to right.
Bateman, who hit his first major league home run in the ninth on Friday, homered to right on a 1-1 fastball to open the home third. George Springer singled and Kirk connected with a first-pitch slider for a homer to left with one out to give Toronto a 5-0 lead.
Bradish allowed five runs, eight hits and two walks with two strikeouts in three innings.
Baltimore scored once in the fourth against Spencer Arrighetti (8-9). Gunnar Henderson smashed a one-out double into the right field corner and scored when Kazuma Okamoto bobbled Encarnacion-Strand’s grounder and then threw high to first. The damage was limited when Encarnacion-Strand was thrown at home by Nathan Lukes on Colton Cowser’s line single to right.
Mason Fluharty replaced Arrighetti after Encarnacion-Strand took a two-out walk in the sixth. Pinch hitter Jeremiah Jackson doubled to right-center to put runners at second and third. Pinch hitter Rece Hinds ended the threat on a lineout to center.
The Blue Jays scored a run against Anthony Nunez in their sixth. Josh Smith was hit by a pitch and scored on Andres Gimenez’s double into the right field corner.
Baltimore cut the lead to 6-3 in the seventh. Pinch hitter Yohel Pozo led off with a single against Fluharty. Pete Alonso homered down the left field line against Paul Sewald on a 1-2 sweeper.
Toronto answered with a run in the bottom of the seventh. Guerrero was hit by a pitch, Lukes singled and Okamoto walked against Cam Sanders. Pinch hitter Ernie Clement greeted Luis De Leon with a sacrifice fly.
