<p>The <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/">Toronto Blue Jays had</a> a brilliant showing Thursday night against the Athletics. Jose Berrios tossed six scoreless, the bats exploded for four home runs and 12 runs total, and the Jays won in an outstanding fashion that forced A&#8217;s manager Mark Kotsay to call on a position player to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning.</p>
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<p>Looking to make it four wins in their past five games, the Jays faced the Athletics on a Friday night that saw the Rogers Centre roof open just before first pitch.</p>
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<p>Chris Bassitt was tasked with pitching for the Jays tonight, and the outing got off to a rough start physically for the veteran pitcher. Lawrence Butler shot a ball up the middle that caught Bassitt, and while the right-hander made the out at first and waved off the Jays&#8217; training staff, it came back at him at 89 MPH off the bat, which can&#8217;t feel fun. Nevertheless, he bared down and struck out Jacob Wilson before getting Brent Rooker to fly out to right field. The Blue Jays threatened in the bottom of the first inning against southpaw Jeffrey Springs, with a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. single and a walk to Alejandro Kirk, but the bats stranded the two runners. That knock from Guerrero extended his on-base streak to 30 games.</p>
<p>Tyler Soderstrom got the first run of the game for the A&#8217;s, belting a splitter that caught a bit too much of the zone over the right-centre field wall for a solo shot. Bassitt then walked Shea Langeliers on five pitches but got out of the inning with a strikeout and a double play to end the threat on a groundball to Ernie Clement. Clement missed the tag on Langeliers before throwing to first, but the A&#8217;s catcher was called out for leaving the basepath, which brought out Kotsay to argue with the umpires to no avail.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Another day, another Ernie blast 😤 <a href="https://t.co/jJfG3s6XS5">pic.twitter.com/jJfG3s6XS5</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1928604977842331927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
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<p><a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/toronto-blue-jays-gdb-57-bats-continue-hot-after-belting-four-home-runs-last-night">Clement</a> got the bottom half of the second inning going for the Jays with a double to the right-centre gap and would later score on a Myles Straw shot to centre field that landed in front of Denzel Clarke. Barger advanced to third on the play while Straw took second base on the throw home &#8211; some heads-up base running to keep out of the double play and put two in scoring position with zero outs. A Nathan Lukes ground out and a Bichette walk loaded the bases for Guerrero with one out, and the slugger generated a walk to score one run and make way for George Springer, who sent a ball out to short right field that was just snagged before it hit the turf. It went down as a sac fly as the runner would score from third to make it 3-1.</p>
<p>The A&#8217;s would get one back in the top of the third inning thanks to a Butler walk, who promptly stole second and then was able to make it home on a gutsy hit and run that made it through the middle.  Clement didn&#8217;t waste any time getting the run back for Toronto shortly after, sending a high cutter over the left centre field wall at 404 feet to make it 4-2. Barger would walk shortly after, with that being Springs&#8217; sixth free pass of the evening, and a Straw double down the left field wall would score Barger from first base to tack on another run for Toronto. Lukes would send a shot down the first side baseline that stayed fair, scoring Straw to make it 6-2, ending Springs&#8217; evening.</p>
<p>Langeliers would get one back for the A&#8217;s in the fourth, sending a solo knock over the left field wall that flew out in a hurry at 111 MPH. CJ Alexander would follow up with a shot up the right field line, but would be tossed at second base trying to stretch the single on a strong throw from Lukes. The A&#8217;s would respond defensively, as Clarke would go on to make a highlight reel play in the bottom half of the frame, scaling the centre field wall to rob Alejandro Kirk of a home run.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Toronto native Denzel Clarke robs a home run at the Rogers Centre! <a href="https://t.co/oS3JSLTR53">pic.twitter.com/oS3JSLTR53</a></p>
<p>&mdash; MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1928610330701148178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Bassitt ran into some trouble in the top of the fifth inning, with runners on first and second and two outs. Rooker would send a middle-middle sinker between Varsho and Lukes in the outfield to score two runs, and the DH advanced to third on the play due to a throwing error from Clement that skipped to the backstop. Bassitt would escape the jam by getting a fly ball out to right field, but the A&#8217;s had clawed their way to within one run. Springer would respond, sending a ball that landed just in front of Clarke to score Straw from second base, and Kirk would plate two more runs on a drive down the right field line to make it 9-5.</p>
<p>Mason Fluharty would take over the Jays in the top of the sixth inning, ending Bassitt&#8217;s day to the tune of five earned runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out six, raising his ERA to 3.80 on the year.</p>
<p>Barger would tag on another run for the Jays in the form of a rocket shot over the right field wall off a Grant Holman splitter that caught too much of the plate. Butler didn&#8217;t even move from his position in right field as the ball sailed 406 feet, leaving the bat at 109 MPH. The Jays would score one more to make it 11-5 thanks to a Lukes double (that Clarke almost snagged as he smacked into the wall) and a Bichette single to right field.</p>
<p>The A&#8217;s tagged on two late runs off Chad Green, with Miguel Andujar putting a double into the gap and later scoring on a Clarke single up the right side. He would score shortly after thanks to a Butler double, but Green would limit the damage to just two runs, eventually getting a fly ball to left field to end the game.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">ADDISON &quot;LASER SHOW&quot; BARGER 😳 <a href="https://t.co/i52W49pivh">pic.twitter.com/i52W49pivh</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1928620144974041500?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>That would be all the excitement for the evening, as the Jays would cruise to an 11-5 victory. Toronto would collect 15 hits, four of them for extra bases (two doubles and two solo home runs), and would walk 11 times, which aided in their lopsided win. Every bat would find a way on base, with Clement going 4 for 5 on the day, while Guerrero, Kirk, Barger, and Straw all had at least two walks. Everyone except Varsho also contributed with at least one RBI.</p>
<p>Fluharty, Yariel Rodriguez, and Brendon Little had strong outings, with the trio producing zero hits and zero runs across three innings. Green would be roughed up for three hits and two runs in the ninth.</p>
<p>The Blue Jays will now look to win the series tomorrow when they face the Athletics for an afternoon contest, slated for 3:07 pm EST.</p>
<p>It is still &#8216;to be determined&#8217; who will start for the Jays tomorrow, considering it is the open spot in the rotation, although Easton Lucas is in Toronto on the taxi squad and could be getting the nod with a corresponding roster move to follow. The Athletics will send Gunnar Hoglund to the mound. Hoglund was a former first-round pick of the Jays back in 2021 but was traded to the A&#8217;s shortly after as part of the Matt Chapman deal.</p>
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The <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/">Toronto Blue Jays had</a> a brilliant showing Thursday night against the Athletics. Jose Berrios tossed six scoreless, the bats exploded for four home runs and 12 runs total, and the Jays won in an outstanding fashion that forced A's manager Mark Kotsay to call on a position player to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning.



Looking to make it four wins in their past five games, the Jays faced the Athletics on a Friday night that saw the Rogers Centre roof open just before first pitch.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="330" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="“web-content-promocard&quot;"></div>
Chris Bassitt was tasked with pitching for the Jays tonight, and the outing got off to a rough start physically for the veteran pitcher. Lawrence Butler shot a ball up the middle that caught Bassitt, and while the right-hander made the out at first and waved off the Jays' training staff, it came back at him at 89 MPH off the bat, which can't feel fun. Nevertheless, he bared down and struck out Jacob Wilson before getting Brent Rooker to fly out to right field. The Blue Jays threatened in the bottom of the first inning against southpaw Jeffrey Springs, with a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. single and a walk to Alejandro Kirk, but the bats stranded the two runners. That knock from Guerrero extended his on-base streak to 30 games.

Tyler Soderstrom got the first run of the game for the A's, belting a splitter that caught a bit too much of the zone over the right-centre field wall for a solo shot. Bassitt then walked Shea Langeliers on five pitches but got out of the inning with a strikeout and a double play to end the threat on a groundball to Ernie Clement. Clement missed the tag on Langeliers before throwing to first, but the A's catcher was called out for leaving the basepath, which brought out Kotsay to argue with the umpires to no avail.

https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1928604977842331927

<a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/toronto-blue-jays-gdb-57-bats-continue-hot-after-belting-four-home-runs-last-night">Clement</a> got the bottom half of the second inning going for the Jays with a double to the right-centre gap and would later score on a Myles Straw shot to centre field that landed in front of Denzel Clarke. Barger advanced to third on the play while Straw took second base on the throw home - some heads-up base running to keep out of the double play and put two in scoring position with zero outs. A Nathan Lukes ground out and a Bichette walk loaded the bases for Guerrero with one out, and the slugger generated a walk to score one run and make way for George Springer, who sent a ball out to short right field that was just snagged before it hit the turf. It went down as a sac fly as the runner would score from third to make it 3-1.

The A's would get one back in the top of the third inning thanks to a Butler walk, who promptly stole second and then was able to make it home on a gutsy hit and run that made it through the middle.  Clement didn't waste any time getting the run back for Toronto shortly after, sending a high cutter over the left centre field wall at 404 feet to make it 4-2. Barger would walk shortly after, with that being Springs' sixth free pass of the evening, and a Straw double down the left field wall would score Barger from first base to tack on another run for Toronto. Lukes would send a shot down the first side baseline that stayed fair, scoring Straw to make it 6-2, ending Springs' evening.

Langeliers would get one back for the A's in the fourth, sending a solo knock over the left field wall that flew out in a hurry at 111 MPH. CJ Alexander would follow up with a shot up the right field line, but would be tossed at second base trying to stretch the single on a strong throw from Lukes. The A's would respond defensively, as Clarke would go on to make a highlight reel play in the bottom half of the frame, scaling the centre field wall to rob Alejandro Kirk of a home run.

https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1928610330701148178

Bassitt ran into some trouble in the top of the fifth inning, with runners on first and second and two outs. Rooker would send a middle-middle sinker between Varsho and Lukes in the outfield to score two runs, and the DH advanced to third on the play due to a throwing error from Clement that skipped to the backstop. Bassitt would escape the jam by getting a fly ball out to right field, but the A's had clawed their way to within one run. Springer would respond, sending a ball that landed just in front of Clarke to score Straw from second base, and Kirk would plate two more runs on a drive down the right field line to make it 9-5.

Mason Fluharty would take over the Jays in the top of the sixth inning, ending Bassitt's day to the tune of five earned runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out six, raising his ERA to 3.80 on the year.

Barger would tag on another run for the Jays in the form of a rocket shot over the right field wall off a Grant Holman splitter that caught too much of the plate. Butler didn't even move from his position in right field as the ball sailed 406 feet, leaving the bat at 109 MPH. The Jays would score one more to make it 11-5 thanks to a Lukes double (that Clarke almost snagged as he smacked into the wall) and a Bichette single to right field.

The A's tagged on two late runs off Chad Green, with Miguel Andujar putting a double into the gap and later scoring on a Clarke single up the right side. He would score shortly after thanks to a Butler double, but Green would limit the damage to just two runs, eventually getting a fly ball to left field to end the game.

https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1928620144974041500

That would be all the excitement for the evening, as the Jays would cruise to an 11-5 victory. Toronto would collect 15 hits, four of them for extra bases (two doubles and two solo home runs), and would walk 11 times, which aided in their lopsided win. Every bat would find a way on base, with Clement going 4 for 5 on the day, while Guerrero, Kirk, Barger, and Straw all had at least two walks. Everyone except Varsho also contributed with at least one RBI.

Fluharty, Yariel Rodriguez, and Brendon Little had strong outings, with the trio producing zero hits and zero runs across three innings. Green would be roughed up for three hits and two runs in the ninth.

The Blue Jays will now look to win the series tomorrow when they face the Athletics for an afternoon contest, slated for 3:07 pm EST.

It is still 'to be determined' who will start for the Jays tomorrow, considering it is the open spot in the rotation, although Easton Lucas is in Toronto on the taxi squad and could be getting the nod with a corresponding roster move to follow. The Athletics will send Gunnar Hoglund to the mound. Hoglund was a former first-round pick of the Jays back in 2021 but was traded to the A's shortly after as part of the Matt Chapman deal.

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