Trimmer Guerrero helps Jays finish series win over Yanks

NEW YORK (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. dropped 42 pounds after an underwhelming 2020.

He's hoping less can be more — and the 22-year-old sure still looks like a heavy hitter.

Guerrero and Randal Grichuk homered off Domingo Germán in the Yankee right-hander's return from a domestic violence ban, and the Toronto Blue Jays beat New York 3-1 Sunday to win a season-opening series against their AL East rival.

A slimmed-down Guerrero had a hit in all three games, including an opposite-field shot leading off the second inning against Germán.

“He makes the lineup a lot better,” manager Charlie Montoyo said. “That’s what we think could happen. That was a beautiful swing to go opposite field."

It was Guerrero's first longball of the season after he hit .262 with nine homers in 60 games last year. The son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero went on a diet over the winter, and teammates have remarked on his energy this spring.

“I feel a lot better this year,” he said via translator.

Grichuk wrapped a two-run drive around the left-field foul pole two batters after Guerrero, helping Toronto take two of three.

“We were coming in with confidence,” Montoyo said. “It's even better now.”

T.J. Zeuch pitched four scoreless innings for the Blue Jays, and left-hander Ryan Borucki (1-0) got two outs to escape a jam in the sixth. Julian Merryweather got his second save with a perfect ninth.

Germán (0-1) allowed three runs over three innings in his first appearance since Sept. 18, 2019. He missed all of last season serving an 81-game ban under Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy after an alleged incident involving his girlfriend, with whom he has at least one child.

The 28-year-old Germán was applauded by fans in right field when he bolted out of the...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Trimmer-Guerrero-helps-Jays-finish-series-win-16076282.php