TORONTO– JJ Bleday and Zack Gelof each hit six home runs in the first inning, JP Sears pitched seven innings to win his third straight start and the Oakland Athletics beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-4 on Sunday for their 50th win and matching their total from last season.
Lawrence Butler had three hits, including two in the first inning, and scored a run, helping Oakland improve its record to 20-13 since July 2, the third-best record in baseball during that span.
Bleday reached base four times, Gelof had three hits and Brent Rooker added two hits and an RBI. The Athletics have won six of their last eight series.
Oakland (50-69) lost 112 games last season and 102 the year before.
In 2023, the Athletics won their 50th victory on September 30, the penultimate day of the regular season.
Toronto hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. went 0-for-4, ending his hitting streak at 22 games. Guerrero’s streak reached a career high, which he first reached in 2022.
Guerrero hit a 110 mph grounder to shortstop in the first inning, but was thrown out in the bottom of the inning. He flew out to right in the fourth, and grounded into double plays in the seventh and eighth innings.
Sears (10-8) allowed three runs and three hits, reaching double-digit wins for the first time. He also walked three and struck out four times.
The left-hander struck out the first ten batters in a row before Daulton Varsho hit a home run in the fourth inning.
Varsho’s home run was his 14th. It was Toronto’s first hit since the second inning of Saturday’s 1-0 loss and its first run since the eighth inning of Friday’s 3-1 victory.
Sears was replaced after walking the first two batters on base in the eighth inning. Michel Otañez came on and allowed an RBI double by Luis De Los Santos and a two-run single by George Springer. Otañez hit Varsho with a pitch but escaped further damage when Guerrero hit a ground ball into a double play on the first pitch.
Oakland’s Mason Miller finished 1-2-3 and tied for ninth place.
The first four batters of the game reached third safely against Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt (9-11). Butler doubled and scored on a fielding error before Bleday hit a two-run homer, his 14th. Three batters later, Gelof hit a two-run shot, his 15th. Daz Cameron doubled before Butler capped the inning with an RBI single.
In his sixth start against his former team, Bassitt reached his season low by allowing seven runs in four innings.
Squad changes
Toronto has activated LHP Génesis Cabrera from the paternity list and sent RHP Yerry Rodríguez to Triple-A Buffalo.
Next
Athletics: Oakland has not yet named a starter for Tuesday’s interleague game in New York against the Mets. RHP Paul Blackburn (5-2, 3.86) is scheduled to start for New York.
Blue Jays: RHP Bowden Francis (4-3, 5.44 ERA) is scheduled to face Angels RHP Davis Daniel (1-3, 6.04) on Monday night as Toronto heads west to begin a three-game series in Los Angeles.
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