Gurriel’s 5 RBIs lift Jays to win over Angels

Taylor Ward had a two-run homer and an RBI double for the Angels, who have lost a season-high five straight and nine of 12 after their perpetually poor pitching staff’s latest struggles.

Toronto raked the Angels’ hurlers for 13 hits even without slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the starting lineup. Guerrero, who has a sore left wrist, was intentionally walked as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.

Max Stassi hit a go-ahead homer in the seventh off Adam Cimber (6-2) and drove in three runs on four hits, but the Halos finished 3-6 on a nine-game homestand. While Ohtani reached base four times, Mike Trout went 0 for 5 for the first time this season.

Moments after Bichette tied it with his solo shot off Ryan Tepera, the Blue Jays reclaimed the lead on Gurriel’s RBI double off Jose Quijada (0-1), who hadn’t pitched in the majors since April 7.

David Phelps pitched the ninth for his first save since 2019.

Andrew Velazquez, who made an atrocious early throwing error, also made the final out in a one-run Angels loss for the second straight night.

Jose Berrios gave up six runs on six hits — including both of Ohtani’s homers — while getting just seven outs for the Blue Jays. Ohtani blasted Berrios’ curveball 413 feet into the elevated right field bleachers in the first, ending the AL MVP’s 0-for-10 slide.

Patrick Sandoval yielded five earned runs over three innings in his worst start of the year for the Angels. After allowing Gurriel’s two-run double in the second, he issued three straight walks in the third, forcing in another run. Tapia then drove in two more with a single that ricocheted off second base.

But after Ohtani connected for a 425-foot homer to the ficus trees beyond center in the third, Stassi tied it with a two-run single.

Ward then came through in the fourth with his 10th homer of the season and his first during a homestand in which he barely played after running into the outfield wall during the opening game. He added a long, run-scoring double in the sixth.

Toronto rallied for three runs to tie it in the seventh, sandwiching Tapia’s RBI single between bases-loaded walks for Gurriel and pinch-hitter Teoscar Hernández from the struggling Tepera.

LITTLE LEAGUE HOMER

Luis Rengifo tripled into the right field corner and scored for Los Angeles in the second when Santiago Espinal’s relay throw ended up in the netting.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: Guerrero was in the starting initial lineup, but was scratched. Thanks to his eighth-inning appearance, the slugger has missed only one game this season, and only two of Toronto’s last 269 contests dating to 2020.

Angels: Although Ward couldn’t throw at full strength, he still played right field for the first time since incurring a stinger and losing strength in his wall collision nine days ago.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: After a day off, Toronto is likely to send Kevin Gausman (4-3, 2.25 ERA) to the mound Tuesday when the Chicago White Sox visit Rogers Centre.

Angels: After a day off, Noah Syndergaard (4-2, 3.08 ERA) is expected to make his New York return Tuesday at Yankee Stadium when the Halos open a six-game East Coast trip.

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Greg Beacham, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

Gurriel’s 5 RBIs lift Jays to win over Angels

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