TORONTO — Manny Machado’s two-run single was all the San Diego Padres needed to win Wednesday 2-0 over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Yu Darvish (7 wins, 6 losses) allowed 7 strikeouts and allowed 4 hits and 3 walks without allowing a run in 6 innings.
Relievers Steven Wilson, Nick Martinez and Josh Hader protected Darvish’s victory. Hader made his 23rd save of the season.
Jose Berrios’ quality start wasted as the Blue Jays (53-43) failed to score.
Berrios (8 wins, 7 losses) gave up only 2 runs on 9 strikeouts, 4 hits and 4 walks in 6 innings.
Yimi Garcia, Trevor Richards and Tim Maza came out of the Toronto bullpen.
Berrios pitched the first four scoreless innings of the game until the Padres scored several runs in the fifth.
He walked Trent Grisham and hit a pitch for Kim Ha-sun to get two runners. As they performed a double steal and moved into scoring position, Berrios deliberately walked slugger Juan Soto, setting up a forceout on all bases with two outs.
But Machado hit a broken bat single to left field, pushing Grisham and Kim across the plate and advancing Soto to third base. Berrios whiffed Xander Bogaerts and struck out, but San Diego built a 2-0 lead.
Toronto outfielder George Springer scored a grab from a flyout off Jake Cronenworth’s at-bat in the sixth inning to a standing ovation from a sold-out 42,948 crowd at the Rogers Center.
Back-to-back singles from Beau Bichette and Brandon Belt in the eighth inning gave the Blue Jays hope of a comeback. But back-to-back pops from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Matt Chapman and a strikeout from Whit Merrifield ended the threat.
Roster Moves — Outfielder Jordan Luplow was named to the Blue Jays’ roster hours before Wednesday night’s game. Outfielder Nathan Rooks made a similar move, earning an option to Toronto’s Triple-A affiliated club in Buffalo, New York. Right-handed sidearmer Adam Cimber has been placed on the 60-day injured list as he continues to rehab an impingement in his shoulder throwing arm.
On Deck — Chris Basitt (9-5) will start as Toronto wraps up an interleague series against San Diego at an early afternoon matinee.
Blake Snell (6-7) takes to the Padres mound.
This report by the Canadian Press Agency was first published on July 19, 2023.
John Chidley Hill, Canadian Press
