George Springer belted his eighth career grand slam and Northeast Ohio native Eric Lauer pitched a season-high 5 1/3 innings as the visiting Toronto Blue Jays beat the Cleveland Guardians 10-6 on Tuesday night.
Springer’s eighth-inning rocket into the left-field bleachers came off Hunter Gaddis, scoring Ernie Clement, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Alejandro Kirk to push Toronto’s lead out to 10-4. It marked the Blue Jays’ first win in Cleveland since 2023.
The Guardians had pulled within 6-4 in the seventh on Lane Thomas’ three-run homer off Chad Green, but were let down by relievers Kolby Allard and Gaddis, who gave up six combined runs and retired just five hitters.
Lauer (4-1) won his third straight decision, allowing one run on a Carlos Santana homer in the sixth, continuing his surprising comeback season at age 30. The left-hander gave up five hits, walked three and struck out five. The Ohio native and Kent State alum beat the Guardians for the second time in two career outings against them.
Kirk had a pair of RBI singles and Jonatan Clase added a two-run single for Toronto. The Blue Jays had dropped three of their previous four games against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox.
Kyle Manzardo hit a solo homer, Nolan Jones had a sacrifice fly and Santana scored twice for the Guardians, who returned home after going 4-5 on an 11-day West Coast trip.
The Blue Jays jumped in front 2-0 in the first when Ernie Clement doubled in Bo Bichette, then came around on Kirk’s single. Kirk drove in another run in the fifth against Guardians starter Logan Allen (5-5).
Left-hander Allen worked 5 2/3 innings, giving up four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks. One of the runs was unearned thanks to a rare double-error by right fielder Johnathan Rodriguez in the fourth.
Myles Straw’s liner ticked off the top of the glove of Rodriguez, who then flung the ball wildly back into the infield, allowing Springer to score.
–Field Level Media
