Blue Jays blow chance at a sweep thanks to sloppy plays against Padres

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The Blue Jays flirted with danger but escaped a few times on Sunday afternoon in San Diego before the Padres finally would not be denied.

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San Diego avoided a sweep with a 6-3 win, overcoming a couple of Toronto home runs and a strong effort from Chris Bassitt.

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The Padres got on the board after Bassitt retired the first two batters of the game. Jake Cronenworth and Manny Machado both singled, with Cronenworth scoring off an error by George Springer. Toronto’s outfield defence has been superb this season, but with Cronenworth running, the ball went right through Springer’s legs. Bassitt then walked Jurickson Profar but picked him off to end the inning.

The Jays responded by generating a two out run of their own in the top of the next inning, courtesy of a Davis Schneider home run off Padres starter Joe Musgrove. Schneider’s third of the year came on a 3-2 fastball.

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Schneider also had a huge defensive play, ending the fifth inning with a lunging catch of a Fernando Tatis line drive with the bases loaded that he turned into a double play.

Earlier, Ernie Clement let off the top of the third with a great at bat. After blasting a ball foul into left, Clement kept it in play a few pitches later, going 372 feet to left on a no-doubter. Both Clement and Davis were added to the lineup by Jays manager John Schneider after not starting in Saturday’s win (Clement had a pinch hit in that one and Davis started on Friday). It was the first time Musgrove had allowed two home runs in a game since last July, but he was mostly in control.

Xander Bogaerts tied the game in the bottom of the third with a solo home run.

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Trevor Richards relieved Bassitt with one out and two on in the sixth. Richards walked the first batter he faced, but a dribbler to the mound was fielded and thrown home in time to record another out. But Richards then walked in the go-ahead run, before seemingly getting out of the inning. However, bizarrely, catcher Danny Jansen was called for interference, allowing another run to score.

After Justin Turner was hit by a pitch, the league-leading sixth batter nailed by Musgrove this season, the red-hot Daulton Varsho hit a double. Schneider made it 4-3 Padres with a fielder’s choice RBI. That gave Jansen a chance to make amends for his mistake, but the catcher flew out to end the inning.

The Padres added two more in the bottom of the eighth but they proved unnecessary.

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RECOMMENDED VIDEO

Having already earned the team’s first road series win of the season on Saturday, the Jays looked for a sweep and a seventh win in eight games and they had their chances, but the Padres had answers.

Toronto dropped to 12-10, while San Diego, which shed a huge amount of payroll in the off-season, moved to .500.

O-MAZING ORELVIS

Toronto’s No. 2 prospect is making it awfully hard to keep him down on the farm.

Orelvis Martinez, the slugging infielder playing for AAA Buffalo, homered for the sixth time in seven games on Sunday. The 22-year-old is also on a 15-game hitting streak. Martinez went 10-for-28 in the series against Columbus. Martinez hit 17 home runs in only 70 games for AA New Hampshire last season, but batted just .226 there. He fared better in AAA, batting .263 with a higher OPS and 11 home runs in 55 games.

The issues as always are where Martinez can play defensively in the Majors and if it makes sense to have him up in a limited role (like replacing Daniel Vogelbach, for example, or allowing him to play every day in the minors at least until later in the summer.

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