Jays win fourth staight, keep A’s reeling

George Springer hit two home runs, and the Toronto Blue Jays held on Saturday for an 8-7 victory over the visiting Athletics, who scored two runs in the ninth inning.
Addison Barger added a two-run blast and Bo Bichette had a solo shot for the Blue Jays, who have won four straight games.
Tyler Soderstrom hit a three-run homer and Denzel Clarke and Brent Rooker added two-run blasts for the Athletics, who have lost the first three games of the four-game series with Toronto and 16 of their past 17 games overall.
Toronto led 4-3 after the first inning.
Jacob Wilson and Rooker singled in the top of the inning for the A’s, and Soderstrom hit a high slider from opener Braydon Fisher to center for his second homer in two games.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled in Toronto’s first inning to extend his on-base streak to 31 games. Barger smashed a changeup from Gunnar Hoglund (1-3) to right. Springer and Daulton Varsho walked, and Nathan Lukes grounded a two-run single up the middle.
Clarke’s first major league homer, in the second inning, restored the Athletics’ lead. The blast to the second deck in left by the Toronto native on a first-pitch fastball scored Luis Urias, who had walked.
Easton Lucas, recalled from Triple-A Buffalo for the game, replaced Fisher, who allowed five runs, four hits and a walk, with one strikeout.
Bichette lined a sinker to left for his 100th career homer to tie the game in the second, 5-5.
Springer led off the third with a homer to center, and Toronto led 6-5. Varsho then doubled to center but was easily out when he limped into third and collapsed at the bag. He had grabbed his left hamstring after rounding second.
Springer homered again on a blast to center in the fifth. Toronto led 8-5 in the sixth when Ernie Clement scored from third on a wild pitch after leading off with a double, his ninth hit of the series.
Lucas (3-2) pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings before Brendon Little took over in the seventh, followed by Yariel Rodriguez.
For the A’s, Tyler Ferguson replaced Hoglund, who allowed eight runs, 10 hits and two walks, with one strikeout, in six innings.
Jeff Hoffman picked up his 13th save for Toronto despite allowing Rooker’s two-run homer in the ninth.
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