By Canadian Press

Turner’s twin blasts power Blue Jays past Royals 6-5; Toronto wins two straight

Apr 29, 2024 | 7:18 PM

TORONTO — Justin Turner had a two-run homer in the first inning and added a solo shot in the third as the Toronto Blue Jays held off the Kansas City Royals 6-5 on Monday.

Danny Jansen also had a home run as Toronto (15-15) won back-to-back games. Davis Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., drove in runs with base hits.

Starter Yariel Rodriguez earned a no decision after he gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits and three walks, with one strikeout over 3 2/3 innings.

Genesis Cabrera (1-0), Trevor Richards, Tim Mayza, Erik Swanson and Nate Pearson came on in relief for the Blue Jays, with Pearson earning his first season of the year.

Kyle Isbel and Freddy Fermin each had a home run as Kansas City (17-13) dropped its third-straight game. Nelson Velazquez had an RBI double, while Isbel and Michael Massey each drove in a run with a single.

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Jonathan Bowlan (0-1) gave up four runs on six hits and three walks, striking out three over 2 2/3 innings. Tyler Duffey, Angel Zerpa, Matt Sauer and Nick Anderson came out of the visitors’ bullpen.

Kansas City opened the scoring in the first when Velazquez’s double handcuffed Blue Jays third baseman Addison Barger, allowing Bobby Witt Jr. to head home. Barger, who normally plays in left field, overthrew to second so Velazquez could get to third.

In the next at bat, Massey hit a ground ball to Toronto shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa — starting instead of all-star Bo Bichette — who threw to a stretched out Guerrero at first. The Blue Jays challenged the umpire’s safe call, but it was upheld to score Velazquez for a 2-0 Royals lead.

Turner answered for Toronto in the bottom of the inning. He sent an 86.1 m.p.h. slider from Bowlan 343 feet, keeping the line drive just inside the foul netting in left field, to bring home Guerrero and tie the game.

Turner drilled his second homer of the game 368 feet, again to left field, to lead off the third inning. His fourth of the season again came off of Bowlan’s breaking pitch, this time a 95 m.p.h. sinker.

Two batters later, Jansen hit his second homer of the season, bringing the 29,879 at Rogers Centre back to their feet. Most of them were wearing powder blue Toronto uniforms with Jansen’s name on the back as part of a free giveaway that included replicas of the catcher’s distinctive white-framed glasses.

Jansen’s homer came off a 95.6 m.p.h. four-seam fastball from Bowlan to give the Blue Jays a 4-2 advantage.

Isbel chipped away at Toronto’s lead in the fourth with his single to right giving Fermin time to score from second.

Maikel Garcia popped out in the next at bat for Rodriguez’s second out of the inning but then he walked Witt to load the bases. That ended his night and brought on Cabrera, who got Vinnie Pasquantino to ground out.

The 27-year-old Rodriguez is on a limited pitch count so far in his Major League Baseball rookie season, having played professionally in his native Cuba and Japan before signing with the Blue Jays during the off-season.

Schneider tacked on a run in the fifth with a bouncing single that cashed in Daulton Varsho from second for a 5-3 Blue Jays lead. It was Schneider’s 12th RBI of the season, third on Toronto behind Turner (15) and Varsho (14).

Isbel once again kept the Royals in the game, wiring a line drive 406 feet to centre field for this third homer of the season. The blast came on the first pitch he saw from Richards, a 92.2 m.p.h. four-seamer.

The 24-year-old Barger led off the sixth with a single for the first hit of his major league career. Two batters later, Guerrero banged a double off the left-centre wall to drive the rookie across home and restore Toronto’s two-run lead.

It was Fermin’s turn to keep Kansas City’s hopes alive with a solo shot to start the eighth. His first home run of the year came off an 85.3 m.p.h. Swanson splitter and landed in Toronto’s bullpen.

ON DECK — Jose Berríos will take his 4-1 record to the mound for Toronto on Tuesday in the second game in the Blue Jays’ series with Kansas City.

Cole Ragans (1-2) gets the start for the Royals.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2024.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press