Guerrero extends hit streak, but Blue Jays fall 1-0 to Athletics

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) fields a ground ball off the bat of Oakland Athletics centre J.J. Bleday (not shown) in the sixth inning of an MLB baseball game in Toronto on Saturday, Aug 10, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. tied a career-best by extending his hit streak to 22 games in the first inning, but Oakland starter Osvaldo Bido was at his best the rest of the way to help the Athletics defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 1-0 on Saturday.

A two-out homer from Brent Rooker in the sixth inning off Toronto starter Yariel Rodriguez (1-5) was enough for Oakland (49-69) to square its series against the Blue Jays (54-63).

Rooker's towering blast hit the top of the left-field wall for his 21st of the year before 34,312 at Rogers Centre.

Bido (3-3) gave up only two hits in his six innings with a walk and five strikeouts. After a bloop single over the right side of the infield to Ernie Clement to open the second, Bido did not give up another hit.

He retired the final 15 of 16 batters he faced, hitting Leo Jimenez in the fifth inning.

The Blue Jays failed to get a runner to second base.

Guerrero went one for four. After his hard-hit single to right in the first inning, he was tossed out on a check swing dribbler to the catcher in the fourth and a sharply hit comebacker to Osvaldo to end the sixth.

He fanned with one out and a runner on first in the ninth.

Guerrero extended his streak in the first inning for the fourth game in a row.

Rodriguez managed 5 2/3 innings. He was knocked off the mound after Shea Langeliers followed Rooker's homer with his third single.

Langeliers completed a four-for-four outing with another single in the ninth inning.

The Athletics snapped a string of eight straight games without a double play. They got two for the price of one after Toronto catcher Brian Serven's leadoff walk in the third inning, and Spencer Horwitz was hit by a pitch in the seventh.

Scott Alexander, Tyler Ferguson and Mason Miller kept the two-hit shutout alive for the Athletics with effective seventh, eighth and ninth innings, respectively. Miller earned his 17th save.

BIG WHIFF

When Clement struck out in the fourth inning, he ended a streak of 35 straight at-bats without a whiff. It was the second-longest current streak in Major League Baseball.

The 28-year-old right-handed-hitting utility infielder moved to fifth in the batting order because of his recent offensive output.

Since June 12, the native of Rochester, N.Y., has hit .306 (48 for 157) with 11 doubles, four homers and 23 RBI.

ON DECK

Chris Bassitt (9-10) will start for Toronto in the finale of the three-game set against Oakland on Sunday. The Athletics will counter with lefty JP Sears (9-8).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10, 2024.