Jays stay close in wild-card race, hit 5 HRs, rout O's 10-1

TORONTO (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 47th home run and the Toronto Blue Jays pushed their AL wild-card chase to the final day of the regular season by thumping the Baltimore Orioles 10-1 Saturday.

The Blue Jays launched five homers while Alek Manoah allowed one hit over seven innings to help Toronto close within one game of the wild card-leading New York Yankees.

Toronto began the day tied with Seattle, one game behind Boston for the second wild-card spot.

George Springer, Teoscar Hernández, Bo Bichette and Danny Jansen all went deep for Toronto. The Blue Jays lead the majors with a franchise-record 258 home runs, topping the 257 they hit in 2010.

Baltimore has allowed a big league-leading 254 home runs.

Guerrero grimaced rounding first base on a double in the sixth inning and was checked by trainers but remained in the game. He flied out to end the eighth and was replaced at first base by Cavan Biggio in the ninth.

Trey Mancini doubled to begin the second and scored on Ryan McKenna’s RBI groundout but that was all for the Orioles against Manoah. Nick Ciuffo walked to begin the third and Manoah hit Austin Hays to open the fourth, but neither runner advanced.

Manoah (9-2) retired the final 12 batters he faced and struck out 10. The rookie has a 1.69 ERA in winning his past four starts — his streak includes two wins over Tampa Bay, the AL’s best team.

Springer had four hits and scored twice. Santiago Espinal had three hits and an RBI as Toronto collected 14 hits, the 71st time this season they’ve had 10 or more.

With his 450-foot drive off John Means (6-9) in the first, Guerrero closed within one of Kansas City’s Salvador Perez for the major league lead.

Hernández hit a solo shot off Means in the first, his 32nd, and Springer hit a three-run homer off Means in...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Jays-stay-close-in-wild-card-race-hit-5-HRs-16504905.php