George Springer Jumpstarts Toronto Blue Jays’ 3-Game Sweep Of Athletics

The Toronto Blue Jays faced the first pitch of the game at 1:38 p.m. EDT. It was an offering that Athletics Starting Pitcher Luis Morales would wish he had back because George Springer drove said pitch, a 96.7 MPH fastball, to the left field seats for an immediate 1-0 lead. It was a home run that set the tone for the Toronto Blue Jays as they completed the three-game sweep of the A’s after a 5-2 home win.

Eric Lauer lasted into the sixth inning in a solid effort, tallying nine strikeouts and allowing two earned runs. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays bullpen did its job to prevent the Athletics from making a comeback. The unit only allowed two hits and no runs in 3.2 innings.

Springer Does It Again As Blue Jays Offense Connects on Three Home Runs

Springer is one of the best leadoff hitters of this generation. The Connecticut native has a knack for getting on base for his teams as the first batter of a lineup. And on this game, with a chance for the Blue Jays to start their season 3-0, the three-time Silver Slugger delivered the goods once more. Springer’s first-pitch home run was the only hit he had on the day, but it was the most important toward a Toronto victory.

Springer wasn’t the only hitter for the Blue Jays who had a dinger. With two outs and a runner on first base in the third inning, Jesús Sánchez joined his teammate as he smoked a 3-0 sinker 417 feet to straightaway center field to increase the lead to 3-0 in favor of the home team. It was Sánchez’s first home run for his new team after a stint last season with the Astros and Marlins.

Kazuma Okamoto, who was signed after a decorated career overseas in Japan, outdid both Springer and Sánchez in home run distance. Leading off the fourth with the score still 3-0, Okamoto started his second at-bat by taking a sweeper well outside the strike zone. The next pitch, a fastball down the middle, was struck and smashed to right center for the former Yomiuri Giants’ first MLB dinger. Okamoto went 3-for-8 during the series.

Blue Jays Pitching Rebounds After Getting Rocked Last Game

Toronto is 3-0, but its record could have read 2-1 if it were not for Ernie Clement’s heroic efforts in extra innings. The pitching unit allowed seven runs to the Athletics on Saturday, which included a grand slam from Catcher Shea Langeliers. While Lauer did allow a two-run shot to former longtime Los Angeles Dodger Max Muncy, it was the only damage he and the bullpen allowed.

Lauer’s nine strikeouts included striking out the side in his first inning. Langeliers and Nick Kurtz succumbed to a fastball, while Brent Rooker was headed back to the dugout after swinging and missing a changeup. Lauer did not allow a baserunner until the fourth, where he walked Kurtz after striking out Langeliers for the second time. The threat was swiftly mitigated after a flyout by Rooker and a strikeout by Tyler Soderstrom.

After a double and the aforementioned home run in the fifth, Lauer regrouped and retired the next three batters with a popout sandwiched between two more strikeouts. The lefty would cede things to the bullpen with one out in the sixth, and the bullpen did not lose the lead for the Blue Jays. Brayden Fisher came in to strike out Rooker and force a groundout from Soderstrom to end the inning. Fisher retired all three batters in the seventh as well.

Jays Manager John Schneider mixed and matched more in the eighth inning of a 5-2 game. Tommy Nance replaced Fisher and proceeded to fan Jeff McNeil with a nasty curveball, which was thrown three times in the four-pitch at-bat. The rest of Nance’s outing consisted of inducing a groundout from Pinch Hitter Lawrence Butler and giving up a single to Langeliers.

The next reliever Schneider put on the mound was Mason Fluharty. On Saturday, Fluharty failed to record an out, and he allowed two earned runs on two hits. This time, with two outs and one batter to face, the lefty was successful in saddling Kurtz with his second strikeout. Catcher Tyler Heineman had to use ABS to challenge a called ball, which was overturned to a called strike three. Jeff Hoffman finished off the A’s in the ninth to notch his first save.

Quick Tidbits On The Game

-George Springer’s home run was his 64th from the leadoff spot in his career and his 25th such home run with the Blue Jays. Springer is 18 shy of passing Rickey Henderson for the most leadoff home runs of all time.

-Lauer’s nine strikeouts were tied for the third-most in a game and his career, and his most in any game since Sept. 29, 2022, against the Brewers.