Lukes’s two-run single lifts Jays over Guardians

JOHN CHIDLEY-HILL – Nathan Lukes’s two-out, two-run azygous successful the eighth inning pushed the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-3 triumph successful the bid opener against the Cleveland Guardians connected Friday.

With George Springer connected 3rd and pinch-runner Daulton Varsho connected second, Lukes’ thrust disconnected reliever Jakob Junis (0-1) landed successful beforehand of Guardians right-fielder Jhonkensy Noel to the delight of the 26,087 fans astatine Rogers Centre.

Blue Jays person Jeff Hoffman pitched the ninth inning for his seventh save, leaving Guardians connected 2nd and third. He followed a beardown 1 2/3 innings from reliever Brendon Little (1-0).

Bo Naylor of Mississauga, Ont. smashed his 5th homer to straightaway centre tract successful the 4th inning to necktie the crippled 2-2.

Toronto’s Springer blasted his 3rd homer of the play to the aforesaid spot for a 3-2 vantage for the location squad successful the 5th inning. With 2 walks and a catcher interference call, Springer reached basal 4 times.

Carlos Santana, who homered successful the 2nd inning, drove successful the tying tally with a one-out azygous to close successful the sixth.

Toronto starter Chris Bassitt near aft 5 1/3 innings and 98 pitches. He surrendered 3 runs connected 7 hits with nary walks and 4 strikeouts.

Guardians starter Logan Allen lasted 5 2/3 innings, giving up 2 earned runs connected sixth hits and 2 walks with 4 strikeouts.

Takeaways

Guardians: Naylor was called for catcher interference connected Springer to support the 3rd inning live for Alejandro Kirk’s two-run single.

Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. belted a brace of hard-hit singles successful his archetypal 2 at-bats. But helium was thrown retired trying to agelong his blast disconnected the left-field partition successful the archetypal inning.

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Key moment

Cleveland infielder Jose Ramirez near the crippled aft an infield deed successful the 3rd inning with a mild close ankle sprain. He was drilled successful the backmost arsenic helium chugged down the enactment by Bassitt and past tumbled hard to the crushed aft hitting archetypal base.

Key stat

Bo Bichette, who went 0 for 4 connected Friday, has gone 63 games without a homer.

Up next

Kevin Gausman (2-3) volition commencement successful the mediate outing of the three-game set, portion Cleveland volition antagonistic with righty Gavin Williams (2-2).

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published May 2, 2025.