TORONTO (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. extended his hitting streak to 21 games, José Berríos struck out eight in seven innings and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Oakland Athletics 3-1 on Friday night.
Alejandro Kirk drove in the tiebreaking run in the sixth inning and Spencer Horwitz gave Toronto some insurance with a solo home run in the eighth as the Blue Jays won for the third time in four games.
Guerrero hit a pair of singles and his hitting streak is the longest active streak in the majors.
“It’s crazy,” Berríos said. “It’s like seeing my two kids playing PlayStation with him. He’s been doing whatever he wants with the ball. It’s fun to watch.”
Guerrero is batting .506 over his streak.
“I think the two hits he got off me were both pitches out of the zone,” Oakland right-hander Mitch Spence said. “He’s seeing the ball really well and he’s an unbelievable hitter. It’s cool to come in and get a chance to face him.”
Guerrero also dove into the netting and landed in the front row of seats behind first base after catching Shea Langeliers’ foul popup to strand two runners in the top of the sixth.
“I told him it was a fake dive into the net,” outfielder George Springer joked. “You know, he has a Gold Glove, he knows how to do it. It’s a huge play right there, obviously.”
Berríos (10-9) allowed one run and six hits. He’s 8-2 with a 2.83 ERA in 12 home starts and 2-7 with a 5.29 ERA in 12 road starts.
“Tonight was huge,” Springer said of Berríos. “That’s pretty much who he is.”
Chad Green pitched the ninth for his 11th save in 11 chances.
Horwitz went 3 for 4, coming within a triple of the cycle.
Springer hit the 59th leadoff home run of his career, a second deck drive to left. It was Springer’s second leadoff shot this season, having also done it against Detroit on July 21.
Springer is second to Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson (81) on baseball’s career list for leadoff home runs. Springer has 20 leadoff homers since joining the Blue Jays before the 2021 season.
Oakland tied it in the third when rookie infielder Darell Hernaiz led off with his first career home run.
“You could see the joy in the smile when he rounded first base,” Oakland manager Mark Kotsay said.
Berríos has now allowed 26 home runs this season. Only Boston’s Kutter Crawford (27) has allowed more.
Guerrero reached on a one-out single in the sixth, advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on Kirk’s grounder when Oakland couldn’t turn a double play.
“The ball was hit at a perfect speed for Kirk,” Kotsay said. “We had a pretty good chance and it was a bang-bang play.”
The Athletics put runners at the corners with two outs in the seventh but Berríos finished his outing by retiring Lawrence Butler.
Spence (7-8) lost his second straight start, allowing two runs and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked none and struck out two.
UP NEXT
RHP Yariel Rodríguez (1-4, 3.86 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Saturday against Oakland RHP Osvaldo Bido (9-8, 4.35).
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