Good times keep rolling for Vlad Jr. in Blue Jays win

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The Oakland A’s kept him in the yard on Friday night, but Vladimir Guerrero Jr., managed to continue his one-man show for the Blue Jays.

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With a 2-for-4 night, the red-hot slugger extended his hit streak to 21 games — one shy of his career high — as the Jays defeated the A’s 3-1.

He even gave a couple of unsuspecting fans seated down the first-base line a welcome surprise by landing in their laps after chasing down a pop-up for an out in the fifth inning, his momentum taking him into the protective mesh.

Win or lose, fans have been basking in Vladdy’s glow since he began his hit streak on July 14 and has hit 10 home runs in that span.

Having earned a series win over the Baltimore Orioles, the Jays on Friday began a stretch of playing against inferior opposition — a relative term given their own set of issues.

Jose Berrios filled the supporting role in the series opener against the A’s in his 100th-start for the Jays.

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He reached the career-milestone 1,300th strikeout along the way, earning applause and respect from the fans in attendance, in pitching seven complete innings.

The lone mistake was a solo home run to Darrel Hernaiz in the third inning, one of six hits Berrios would surrender, while striking out eight.

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The Vladdy buzz and the Berrios pitching aside, this game was actually too close for comfort.

Toronto’s go-ahead run came on a sixth-inning force-out, indicating the evening’s slim margins.

Spencer Horwitz’s solo homer in the eighth — a blasdt to deep right that capped a three-hit night — provided some breathing room.

Erik Swanson began the eighth inning for the Blue Jays and gave up a one-out walk before inducing a fly ball to right field for the second out. An acrobatic catch by shortstop Leo Jimenez ended the inning.

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Chad Green once again entered the game to start the ninth and secured his 11th save with a three-up, three-down inning.

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TAKING THE LEAD

It seems like months ago that fans and media alike were clamoring to move George Springer down in the order in the wake of an extended stretch of futility at the plate.

While a move would be eventually made, the club, and specifically manager John Schneider, never wavered in his faith in the veteran.

Back in the leadoff role, for the 20th time as a Blue Jay and 59th time during his big-league career, Springer belted a leadoff homer — a 421-footer off a 2-2 slider from right-hander Mitch Spence. It was his 14th long ball of the season.

Speaking of leadoff blasts, Hernaiz stroked his first big-league home run when he connected for the A’s. A native of Puerto Rico, the rookie recorded his milestone moment against his compatriot in Berrios, whose season of surrendering homers has been well documented.

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For the record, the leadoff homer to Hernaiz was the 26th long ball yielded by Berrios, who gave up three in his previous start on Aug. 3 when the Jays were in the Bronx.

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HORWITZ BLITZ

Whether it’s his long-term viability with the club or his recent appearances at the plate, not much attention has been placed on Horwitz, who has hit at the top and the middle of the order, while playing second or first base on the field.

While he has shown to be a competent to very good player ssince his callup, it’s anyone’s guess where Horwitz will eventually land in the lineup once all the off-season business has been addressed.

Unless something completely goes off the rails in the ensuing few months, Horwitz merits a spot on next year’s 26-man roster.

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He’s not a home run hitter — Friday’s blast was his fifth, and first since July 11 — but Horwitz always finds a way to make contact when he steps up to the plate.

In his first at-bat Friday, Horwitz, batting cleanup, flew out to centre. Next time up, he slapped a ball down the left-field line for a double. A sixth-inning single gave Horwitz his third multi-hit game in August.

TRACKING JOEY

The Jays have pretty much showed their hand when it comes to Joey Loperfido, one of three players the team acquired from Houston as part of the deadline deal that sent left-handed starter Yusei Kikuchi to the Astros.

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The kid is talented and versatile, but he’s also very raw.

Friday’s game was his 45th in the big leagues and seventh for the Blue Jays, who have used Loperfido in left field and right, had him hit second in the lineup in five straight games before moving him down to the No. 6 hole Thursday.

After recording a hit in each of his first three games with Toronto, Loperfido has gone hitless since, continuing that drought with an 0-for-4 against the A’s.

But he did not strike out, which is progress in some way, after fanning at least twice in each of his first six games for his new team.

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