Any lingering thoughts of the offensive woes that hampered the Toronto Blue Jays on their recent six-game road trip vanished over an inning to remember on Thursday night.
Ernie Clement and Vladimir Guerrero homered and the Blue Jays batted around in an eight-run second frame en route to a 12-0 romp over the Athletics at Rogers Centre.
Bo Bichette and George Springer added homers in the third inning as Toronto won its fourth straight home game and returned to the .500 mark at 28-28.
“It was a little bit contagious today in that second inning,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “That’s about as best as you can draw it up.”
The 12 runs scored doubled the team’s six-run total output from a 2-4 road trip that saw the Blue Jays go 4-for-45 with runners in scoring position.
In the opener of a seven-game homestand, Toronto seemed to hammer the ball at will against a struggling Athletics side (23-34) that extended its road losing skid to eight games.
Clement smacked a three-run shot and added a two-run double later in the second inning. Guerrero’s two-run rainbow blast left him tied for the team lead with eight homers this season.
“It’s just nice to take a deep breath and not (be) fighting (in) a 0-0 game like we were all series (in) the last week or so,” Clement said. “But I just think we’ve got to use it as momentum and keep doing it.”
It was the most runs Toronto has scored in an inning since a nine-run frame against Tampa Bay nearly two years ago. It was also the 14th time in franchise history that the Blue Jays scored 11 runs over the first three innings.
“What I really liked is not taking your foot off the gas after you score eight, and you continue to add on,” Schneider said.
Athletics starter Jacob Lopez (0-3) was chased after recording just five outs. He gave up six hits, a walk and seven earned runs.
Bichette scored twice and drove in three runs. Clement and Alejandro Kirk had three hits apiece as Toronto pumped out 18 hits in all.
Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios (2-2) was in full control over his six-inning appearance. He allowed two hits, two walks and had nine strikeouts.
“Nothing was bothering me out there,” Berrios said. “So (I was) just competing, having fun and executing my pitches.”
Mason Fluharty and Jose Urena completed the four-hit shutout.
Announced attendance was 23,853, and the game took two hours and 31 minutes to play.
Right-hander Chris Bassitt (4-3, 3.38) is tabbed to start for Toronto on Friday against left-hander Jeffrey Springs (5-3, 3.97).
