Eddie Rosario’s two-run seventh-inning homer broke a tie and the host Washington Nationals went on to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-8 on Sunday.
Luis Garcia Jr. had four hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs while Jesse Winker had a three-run homer and a double for Washington, which took two of three.
Hunter Harvey (2-1) pitched 1 1/3 innings for the win and Kyle Finnegan worked the ninth for his 11th save.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a grand slam for the Blue Jays, who have lost four of five.
Genesis Cabrera (1-1) took the loss.
Toronto’s Alek Manoah, making his first start in the majors since last August, was given a 6-1 lead but could not hold it. He went four innings, allowing seven runs (six earned) on six hits with four walks and six strikeouts.
Washington starter MacKenzie Gore allowed six runs — two earned — on six hits over three innings. He struck out four and walked two.
With the game tied 8-8 in the seventh, Rosario took Erik Swanson deep to right center two outs after Winker doubled to chase Cabrera. Washington added a run in the eighth on Joey Meneses’ sac fly.
The Nationals got on the board in the first. Jacob Young reached on an error and went to third on Garcia’s out-one single. Winker and Meneses walked to make it 1-0.
The lead was short-lived. With one out and one on in the second, Daulton Varsho stole second and went to third on catcher Keibert Ruiz’s throwing error. After Alejandro Kirk walked, Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a tapper to the mound. Gore couldn’t get a handle on it and Varsho scored.
After Ernie Clement’s single loaded the bases, George Springer struck out, but Guerrero smacked a 2-1 pitch to left for his fifth career grand slam, and the Blue Jays led 5-1.
Toronto added a run in the third when Davis Schneider doubled, stole third and scored on a two-out single by Kiner-Falefa.
Garcia’s solo homer cut the Washington deficit to 6-2 in the third.
Manoah allowed a single and a walk among the first three batters in the fourth. Both advanced on a groundout and Garcia singled to center, scoring two runs to make it 6-4. After Nick Senzel singled, Winker homered to give Washington a 7-6 lead.
The Blue Jays took the lead back in the fifth. A walk, single and groundout followed by Kiner-Falefa’s sacrifice fly tied it. The go-ahead run scored when shortstop CJ Abrams couldn’t handle Ernie Clement’s grounder.
Young doubled and scored on Garcia’s single to tie it 8-8 in the sixth.
–Field Level Media
