By Canadian Press

Juan Soto powers Padres past Blue Jays 9-1; Toronto’s win streak ends at four

Jul 18, 2023 | 7:31 PM

TORONTO — Juan Soto had a two-run home run and an RBI double as San Diego’s big bats carried them past the Toronto Blue Jays 9-1 on Tuesday.

Manny Machado and Gary Sánchez had solo homers in the fifth inning as the Padres (45-50) snapped a three-game losing skid. Trent Grisham added a solo shot and Jake Cronenworth had an RBI double. Sánchez and Cronenworth each had a sacrifice fly.

Joe Musgrove (9-2) struck out seven and allowed a run on five hits and a walk over six innings. Relievers Tom Cosgrove and Alek Jacob did not allow a run.

Matt Chapman was responsible for all of Toronto’s offence with an RBI single as the Blue Jays (53-42) saw a four-game win streak end.

Alek Manoah (2-8) gave up four runs on four hits and five walks over three innings as the former all-star’s struggles on the mound continued.

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Nate Pearson, Jay Jackson and Mitch White came out of Toronto’s bullpen, with Pearson and White allowing a combined five runs.

The Padres got to Manoah quickly, with Fernando Tatis Jr., drawing a walk and then Soto smashing a four-seam fastball 383 feet. The ball was just over the left-field wall for Soto’s 17th home run of the season and a 2-0 San Diego lead.

Chapman replied for the Blue Jays in the bottom of the inning with a single up the middle. That scored George Springer from second and advanced Bo Bichette to third. Springer and Bichette had led off the inning with back-to-back hits.

Toronto pitching coach Pete Walker was tossed from the game in the second as he had a mound meeting with Manoah after he walked Grisham. Walker’s mouth was covered as he spoke to Manoah but home plate umpire Malachi Moore, standing nearby to keep the mound visit brief, clearly did not like what he heard.

Soto tacked on another run — again driving in Tatis — in the third. Tatis had reached base on a double down the third-base line bringing Soto to the plate. The San Diego left-fielder lofted the ball to right field where Springer dived to make the catch but mistimed it, rolling on the ground as the hit bounced behind him. Soto reached second and Tatis scored as Toronto centre-fielder Kevin Kiermaier ran the ball down.

Cronenworth’s sacrifice fly three batters later plated Soto to give the Padres a 4-1 lead.

Machado added another run to San Diego’s lead in the fifth, leading off the inning with a home run. His 18th of the season flew 386 feet off of an 87.7 m.p.h. slider from Pearson.

Pearson induced two groundouts before Sánchez rocked him for a second solo homer in the inning. Sanchez’s bomb travelled 393 feet into the left-field stands off of a 96.8 m.p.h. four-seamer.

The Padres hit parade continued in the eighth inning when Grisham hit his 10th homer of the season. He launched an 88.6 m.p.h. slider from White 385 feet to right-centre field for a 7-1 lead.

Cronenworth’s ninth-inning double cashed in Soto and then, in the next at bat, Sánchez lofted a sacrifice fly to deep right field to score Machado.

ODOR REMOVER — Fans at Rogers Centre were robbed of the opportunity to boo Rougned Odor as the infielder was cut by San Diego hours before the game. Odor has been a target of fan ire in Toronto since punching then-Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista in a game at Texas in May 2016, sparking a benches-clearing brawl. Toronto eliminated the Rangers from the playoffs in 2015 and 2016.

GAUSMAN RETURN? — Ace Kevin Gausman could return to Toronto’s rotation this weekend when the Blue Jays travel to Seattle. Gausman was scheduled to have a bullpen session on Wednesday and, depending on how he felt after, could slot in on the west-coast trip. Gausman was scratched from a start last weekend because of discomfort in his left side.

ON DECK — José Berríos (8-6) takes the mound in Toronto’s second game against San Diego. Yu Darvish (6-6) is scheduled to start for the Padres.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2023.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press