Guerrero’s first homer of season headlines strong Blue Jays win
It took 19 games, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s first home run of the season was well worth the wait. His first blast of the year highlighted a strong team win for the Blue Jays over the Braves.
TORONTO – It took 19 games, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s first home run of the season was well worth the wait.
The Toronto Blue Jays slugger was facing Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider in the sixth inning of Wednesday’s contest at Rogers Centre. He went down 0-2 but worked the count full before fouling off a high-and-tight 95.2-m.p.h. four-seamer from Strider.
Then came the exhale moment.
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Guerrero Jr. lifted a down-and-in slider from Strider into the second deck in left field, causing an eruption from the 25,328 in attendance. His swing finished with a high arc and Guerrero Jr. stood and admired the moonshot that hung in the air for 5.6 seconds before dropping his lumber, rolling his shoulders forward and rounding the bases.
It was a beautiful sequence that provided the highlight of the Blue Jays’ 3-1 win over Atlanta which also featured a dominant outing from starter Chris Bassitt and strong relief work from the bullpen.
It seemed like everybody around the Blue Jays — players, coaches, fans alike — were waiting for Guerrero Jr.’s first homer of the season. He’s been in the spotlight all week due to his landmark 14-year, $500-million contract extension that was made official during a celebratory press conference on Monday.
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Guerrero Jr. had been solid at the plate this season but mostly collected just a bevy of singles. His underlying metrics were quite strong, though, and so there was never any real concern there.
When the dam finally broke, though, Guerrero Jr. put on the team’s home run jacket, walked to the end of the dugout then showed his relief in front of a nearby television camera.
“About (expletive) time,” he said with a big smile.
That home run gave the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead and offered support for Bassitt, who twirled a gem. The right-hander was in complete control from the outset, striking out the side and quickly dispelling any worries about the neck issues he’s been experiencing.
Bassitt fought through tightness on the right side of his neck to deliver 5.2 innings of one-run ball last Thursday in Boston and had his neck wrapped while sitting at his locker in the Blue Jays’ clubhouse prior to Wednesday’s game.
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However, the results hours later were convincing as Bassitt only really encountered trouble in the fifth frame. With one out, he surrendered two straight singles to Atlanta’s No. 8 and 9 hitters and then both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Bassitt then engaged in an eight-pitch at-bat with Michael Harris II, eventually putting the left-handed hitter away by burying a curveball that produced a weak swing and miss.
Then, up came Austin Riley, who’s homered three times in this series. Bassitt went down 2-0 in the count before battling back and eventually getting Riley to offer a half-swing on a high cutter to end the jam.
Bassitt was revved up and let out a roar after finishing off what was his final batter of the afternoon. The right-hander allowed three hits over five scoreless innings, walking two and striking out a season-high 10. His ERA now sits at a minuscule 0.77 across four starts and 23.1 innings.
The Blue Jays bullpen secured the win for Bassitt with dominant work to bridge the gap to closer Jeff Hoffman. Brendon Little tossed a scoreless frame, Nick Sandlin covered two outs, then Yimi Garcia struck out each of the four batters he faced. Hoffman allowed a solo home run to Drake Baldwin but recovered to secure his fourth save of the season.
All in all, it was a strong team game for the Blue Jays, who took two of three from the Braves, with both wins coming against right-handers Strider and Spencer Schwellenbach — arguably the most fearsome one-two punch in the league.
