Loperfido, Barger homers power Jays past Angels
TORONTO — Addison Barger will have to endure a video review of his first major league home run because after his momentous moment, he struggled to recount what it was like to be mobbed by his Toronto Blue Jays teammates.
After Joey Loperfido led off the ninth inning with a solo shot to left-center field, Barger hit a 3-2 pitch off Los Angeles Angels (54-75) reliever Roansy Contreras (2-3) to give the home team a 5-4 victory Friday.
“I probably don’t remember anything,” Barger said. “Honestly, I probably blacked out. It was an incredible moment.”
Earlier in his at-bat in front of 25,421 at Rogers Centre, Barger hit a fastball deep down the right-field line but fouled off.
“I’m really trying to make a pitch to get a drive,” Barger said. “But even if I get a walk there, it’s going to be huge because it’s the winning run and Vladdy was on deck.”
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had the night off, but he caught the ceremonial first throw from Canadian Olympic swimmer Summer McIntosh, who was wearing her three gold medals from Paris.
Toronto manager (61-68) John Schneider confirmed the plan was for Guerrero to replace Steward Berroa, who was to succeed Barger.
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The Angels took a 4-0 lead with a four-run second inning thanks to run-scoring doubles by Anthony Rendon and Joe Adell and an RBI single by Taylor Ward.
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But the Blue Jays kept the game close as starter Chris Bassitt recovered to pitch six innings, retiring the last 10 Angels he faced.
“To his credit, you look up and he has six,” Schneider said. “We really needed that with a pretty small pen.
“I told him, when he was done, to try to take the positives from that night. I know one inning was a draw, but the fact that he had five scoreless innings … was something he could build on.”
There were also three outstanding defensive plays that helped the Blue Jays come back. Berrora picked off Nolan Schanuel trying to turn his hit down the right-field line into a double in the eighth inning.
Catcher Alejandro Kirk caught Zach Neto trying to steal in the same inning. Loperfido made a great catch in the left-field corner against the wall on Schanuel.
“I took notes on (Daulton Varsho),” Loperfido said, referring to Toronto’s defensive genius at center.
After a rough start since being traded from the Houston Astros to Toronto, Loperfido has contributed offensively and defensively.
Over his last seven games, he’s hitting .435 (10-for-23 with a double, two triples, two homers and three RBIs). He credits the Blue Jays’ coaching staff for some adjustments to his swing.
The two bombs extended the Blue Jays’ home run streak to 12 outings.
Chad Green (4-3) pitched the ninth for Toronto.
Bassitt allowed four hits and two walks, striking out six batters.
The home team managed to get closer with two runs in the fourth inning and added another run in the sixth.
Each time, Varsho singled and scored to extend his on-base streak to 20 games, the longest current streak in the American League.
Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz left the field after Loperfido’s double to start the seventh inning. Kochanowicz allowed three runs on seven hits with one strikeout.
OH DANNY BOY
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed that former Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen will start when the suspended June 26 game resumes at Fenway Park on Monday afternoon.
Jansen will make history as the first player to play for both teams in one game. The Red Sox traded him on July 27.
“Yes, he’s catching up,” Cora told reporters Friday. “Let’s make history.”
Extreme weather conditions forced the match to be suspended two months ago.
ON THE BRIDGE
Toronto right-hander Bowden Francis (6-3) will start Game 3 of the four-game series against the Angels on Saturday. Los Angeles will respond with right-hander Carson Fulmer (0-4).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 23, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
