Field Level Media
Apr 27, 2019
Randal Grichuk had three hits and two RBIs, Aaron Sanchez pitched five strong innings and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Oakland Athletics 7-1 on Saturday.
Brandon Drury also had three hits for the Blue Jays, who have won all five games with the A's this season after losing all seven meetings last year.
Sanchez (3-1) allowed an unearned run, two hits and four walks while striking out four.
Oakland starter Brett Anderson (3-2) allowed six runs in 4 1/3 innings on 10 hits and two walks. He struck out two.
The Blue Jays scored twice after loading the bases in the first inning. Eric Sogard doubled, Justin Smoak walked and Grichuk singled. Teoscar Hernandez forced Grichuk at second with his grounder to third, but second baseman Jurickson Profar threw wildly to first on the play for an error and was shaken up on the slide.
The A's left the field after interference was called on the slide, but a video review upheld Toronto's challenge that there was no interference. Two runs scored on the play with Hernandez getting one RBI.
Toronto scored twice in the second. Danny Jansen doubled, advanced to third on Alen Hanson's single and scored on Sogard's sacrifice bunt to first. Grichuk hit an RBI single.
Oakland scored in the fifth after Ramon Laureano led off with a double. Profar walked and was forced at second on Nick Hundley 's grounder to short, but Laureano scored on Sogard's error on the throw to first.
Liam Hendriks replaced Anderson in Toronto's two-run fifth after a one-out RBI single by Rowdy Tellez. Hendriks allowed Jansen's sacrifice fly on a spectacular catch by Stephen Piscotty running to the right-field line.
A walk to Sogard and an RBI double by Grichuk gave Toronto a 7-1 lead in the sixth.
Sam Gaviglio replaced Sanchez in the sixth, allowing two hits and striking out three in three innings. Daniel Hudson pitched around a walk in the ninth.
--Field Level Media