Pomeranz pitches gem, Sandoval homers, Giants blank Blue Jays for sweep

Apr 24, 2019 | 4:28 PM

TORONTO — Drew Pomeranz pitched six scoreless innings and Pablo Sandoval hit his second homer in as many days as the San Francisco Giants beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-0 on Wednesday for a sweep of their two-game interleague series.

Pomeranz (1-2) allowed just two hits, walked a pair and struck out five to pick up his first win of the season.

Evan Longoria, Brandon Belt and Buster Posey drove in a run apiece for San Francisco (11-14).

Clay Buchholz (0-1) took the loss, allowing four runs and six hits with two strikeouts over five-plus innings in his third start in a Toronto uniform.

The Blue Jays (11-14) didn’t get their first base-runner until the bottom of the fifth when Pomeranz walked Rowdy Tellez. Teoscar Hernandez followed with a single for Toronto’s first hit, but he was thrown out by a laser from Gerardo Parra in left field while trying to stretch it to a double.

A double from Posey in the sixth inning cashed in Parra for the Giants’ third run and took Buchholz out of the game after 70 pitches. Longoria followed with another RBI double off reliever Tim Mayza for a 4-0 lead.

Sandoval led off the fifth with a no-doubt solo shot off Buchholz to put San Francisco up 2-0. It was his second homer of the season and second of the series after also going deep Tuesday night.

Belt put the Giants on the board 1-0 in the fourth, plating Steven Duggar from second base on a two-out, ground-rule double. Duggar recorded the game’s first hit when he led off the frame with a single.

Toronto’s Eric Sogard recorded a single in the sixth, giving him at least one hit in seven games since he was called up from triple-A Buffalo last week.

Giants centre fielder and former Blue Jay Kevin Pillar continued to receive standing ovations from the crowd of 19,652 in his plate appearances Wednesday. Pillar was 1 for 3 with a double and an intentional walk.

Tuesday’s game had marked Pillar’s first in Toronto since he was traded to the Giants on April 2 and the team honoured him with a video tribute.

San Francisco outhit the Jays 7-2.

Toronto infielder Freddy Galvis (left hamstring tightness) had his iron-man streak snapped at 349 games. Galvis was injured Sunday against the Athletics in Oakland but had pinch hit in Tuesday night’s game to keep that streak intact. Manager Charlie Montoyo said a stint on the injured list was a possibility for Galvis, who has been one of Toronto’s best hitters this season.

NOTES: The Blue Jays have the day off Thursday before welcoming the Oakland A’s to Rogers Centre for a three-game series beginning Friday. Right-hander Marcus Stroman is slotted in to start the opener. The A’s counter with righty Mike Fiers.

Melissa Couto, The Canadian Press