Returning to the Rogers Centre after posting just four runs on the road in Texas earlier this week, the Blue Jays’ bats have rebounded well on home soil. Welcoming a struggling Athletics squad at the Rogers Centre, the Jays teed off on starter Jacob Lopez early and had him out of the game in the second inning, eventually putting up double-digit runs when the dust settled a couple of hours later.

After the top three went down in the bottom of the first half, Alejandro Kirk led off the second inning with a single before Anthony Santander walked to put both runners on early. A first pitch slider down the middle to Ernie Clement saw the infielder deposit the offering over the left centre field wall, plating three runs early.

The damage didn’t stop there, as Jonatan Clase got on base after Myles Straw grounded out to follow Clement. Michael Stefanic flied out to left field to get two outs on the board, but the Jays continued to put the pressure on, starting with Clase stealing second base. Bo Bichette brought him home with a double, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. brought him in by smashing a high fastball over the left centre wall as well. The ball landed in the same area as Clement’s home run, as indicated by the cameras during the game.

A Springer single ended Lopez’s evening, but Toronto wasn’t done with the frame, as another Kirk single and a Santander walk combo led to a double from Clement to plate three more, making it 8-0. A Straw lineout ended the frame for the A’s and put them back on the sticks.

The bottom of the third continued in the Jays’ favour, as Bichette drove in a two-run home run of his own before Springer added a solo shot of his own over the left field wall, making it 11-0 on the day. The A’s pitchers kept Toronto out of the scorebooks until the bottom of the seventh, where a sac fly off the bat of Kirk scored Barger from third base. As the game progressed, numerous Jays bats were taken out of the game – Bichette, Guerrero, and Santander – and the A’s resorted to using a position player on the mound in the bottom of the eighth, who pitched a clean inning.

For the Blue Jays, Jose Berrios took the mound and pitched six solid frames, allowing just two hits and two walks on the day while striking out nine. Berrios generated 11 swings and misses and was hitting 95 MPH with his four-seam fastball. Manager John Schneider turned to Mason Fluharty and Jose Urena to get through the remaining three frames, with both pitchers allowing just one hit while striking out two apiece.

It was a great day at the plate for many of the Jays’ bats. Clement drove in five runs and was a triple away from the cycle while Kirk went 3 for 3 with one walk. The Jays collectively mustered 18 hits and only Santander and pinch-hitter Nathan Lukes went hitless on the day (Lukes had just one at-bat, Santander walked twice). Bichette, Guerrero, Springer, and Jonatan Clase had multi-hit days as well.

For those who follow Canadian baseball, Toronto product Denzel Clarke came into the game for the Athletics as a defensive replacement in centre field and had two at-bats, striking out in both.

The Jays will face the A’s tomorrow night, with Chris Bassitt taking the mound while Jeffrey Springs will toe the rubber for the Athletics.