Teoscar Hernandez hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the sixth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Chicago Cubs 5-3 Tuesday night.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added a solo homer and an RBI single for the Blue Jays, who have won the first two games of the three-game series.
Willson Contreras and Christopher Morel hit solo home runs for the Cubs. Morel added an RBI double.
Toronto right-hander Kevin Gausman (10-9) allowed two runs, five hits and one walk while striking out nine in six innings.
Chicago right-hander Marcus Stroman, a former Blue Jay, allowed one run, three hits and two walks with one strikeout in five innings.
Contreras hit his 21st home run of the season, a blast to left with one out in the fourth.
Stroman retired 11 straight batters before he hit Danny Jansen with a pitch with one out in the bottom of fifth. George Springer walked with two out. Guerrero grounded an RBI single up the middle.
Morel led off the sixth with his 13th home run of the season, a drive to center.
Brendon Little (0-1) made his major league debut when he replaced Stroman for the sixth. He hit Bo Bichette with a pitch and was late with his throw to first on Matt Chapman’s infield single. Hernandez followed with his 19th homer of the season.
David Phelps replaced Gausman in the seventh and allowed two-out walks to Nelson Velazquez and P.J. Higgins. Anthony Bass replaced Phelps and allowed Morel’s RBI double.
Guerrero hit his 27th homer of the season to lead off the bottom of the seventh against Michael Rucker.
Trevor Richards allowed a leadoff single to Alfonso Rivas in the eighth. Richards struck out the next two batters before closer Jordan Romano replaced him and finished the inning with Franmil Reyes’ fielder’s choice grounder.
Jeremiah Estrada made his major league debut for the Cubs in the bottom of the eighth and worked around a walk with two strikeouts. Chicago selected right-hander Estrada from Triple-A Iowa on Tuesday.
Romano pitched around a hit batter in the ninth to earn his 28th save.
–Field Level Media
