(Toronto) Nico Hoerner and Cody Bellinger homered in the first inning, each time on mistimed shifts from Jose Berrios, and the Chicago Cubs beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 on Friday.
Hoerner hit a solo homer, while Bellinger drove in two runs with his 18th homer of the season. The Cubs (60-56) thus led by three points and they no longer looked back.
“The speed of my shots was so-so,” Berrios said. I mean, I’m human, I’m not a robot. That is what I am saying. It’s one of those nights where things don’t go your way. »
In the fourth inning, Seiya Suzuki hit a double good for two runs and Mike Tauchman added a one-run single. Javier Assad (2-2) allowed one run and four hits in seven innings of work, striking out two batters.
Berrios (9-8) gave up six runs – four earned – and nine strikes from the safe, fanning three opponents in four and a third innings. Bowden Francis, Hagen Danner and Jay Jackson saw relief action.
“Two first shifts for homers against arguably the best hitter in baseball in Bellinger and against a good batting team in general,” manager John Schneider said. They’re scoring a lot of points right now. Overall he was good. »
A single from Alejandro Kirk in the fourth allowed Cavan Biggio to put the Blue Jays (65-53) on the board. Brandon Belt took another run from the visitors’ lead in the eighth with his 11th long ball of the season, this time to center field.
“We tried, we competed, but nothing was right for us,” Berrios said. But it’s baseball. That’s why we love this sport, and we’re going to turn the page and be ready for the next game. »
Prior to the game, the Blue Jays announced that pitcher Alek Manoah had been demoted to the minor leagues for the second time this season.
Manoah was 2-2 in seven starts after being recalled on July 7. He had started the campaign going 1-7 with a 6.36 ERA and was traded to the minor leagues to rework his shot.
“It was the same message we gave him all year,” Schneider said. Make your motion sound. There was progress when he got back to what we were seeing – his breaking ball, his fastball control – so he has to keep working on those things. »
Danner was called back to replace him. He saw action in the game against the Cubs, but only had time to make one out in the ninth before being taken off the mound with an injury the nature of which is not has not been disclosed.
The two clubs will meet on Saturday afternoon for the second match of this series which has three. Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (13-3) is expected to face Chris Bassitt (11-6).
