Jays Lose 6-3

Another loss. At least they scored a little today, but not a lot, and the pitchers continued to struggle.

In other bad news, Daulton Varsho appeared to injure his back on a swing in the ninth inning. The game was over, so we didn’t get a chance to see whether he could try to go back out on defence, but it looked pretty bad in the moment. Hope he’s ok, we’ll learn more soon.

They Jays managed just three hits off Ben Lively, along with a pair of walks and a hit by pitch. Two of those hits were solo home runs. One was to the opposite field by Davis Schneider in the second that briefly staked them to a 1-0 lead. The other was pulled down the line by Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the third, which tied the game at two. That was all they’d get off him, though.

They did threaten in the sixth. Lively hit IKF and Spencer Horwitz lined a single to left with none out, but Vlad Guerrero jr. grounded into a double play. George Springer worked a walk to put two on again and knock Lively out of the game. Daulton Varsho hit reliever Cade Smith’s first pitch hard but right into the second baseman’s glove.

Back out in the seventh, Smith retired the first two batters but walked Alejandro Kirk and was pulled for Scott Barlow. Kevin Kiermaier grounded out to end the inning.

IKF lead off the eighth with his second homer of the day, the first multi-homer game of his career. Horwitz worked a walk, forcing Barlow out of the game, but new pitcher Hunter Gaddis picked him off first base and then struck out the next two batters.

Emmanuel Clase shut them down in the ninth.

It was a rough day for Jose Berrios. He left a lot out over the plate while also missing the zone too much and paid the price. He narrowly escaped a two on, none out jam in the first, but in the second gave up an absolute bomb to Bo Naylor, the deepest home run by a Guardian this season, which scored two. He gave up another in the third, another two runshot to Jose Ramirez, and a third to Steven Kwan to lead off the fifth.

All told, he gave up five runs on six hits, a walk and a pair of hit batters in five innings. It could have been worse, if not for great plays in the field by Varsho and Schneider that shortened potential big Cleveland innings.

The Guardians’ power binge continued against Genesis Cabrera in the sixth. Daniel Schneeman launched his second career homer to extend Cleveland’s lead to 6-2.

Brendon Little worked a 123 bottom of the seventh, and Nate Pearson did the same in the eighth.

Jays of the Day: IKF (0.171)

No: Berrios (-0.334), Guerrero (-0.175)

One more chance to avoid the sweep. It’s a 1:40pm ET start tomorrow. Yusei Kikuchi (4-6, 3.65) takes the mound for the Jays, while Triston McKenzie (3-4, 4.48) will represent the home side.