Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Freddy Galvis hits a solo home run off Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Jakob Junis during the seventh inning of a baseball game at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., July 31, 2019.Orlin Wagner/The Associated Press
Freddy Galvis and rookie Bo Bichette hit solo home runs to lead the Toronto Blue Jays over the Kansas City Royals 4-1 on Wednesday for a three-game sweep.
Bichette hit his first career homer to open the eighth inning against Royals starter Jakob Junis, a drive to left field. Galvis cleared the centre-field wall with his 16th to open the seventh.
Cavan Biggio followed Bichette’s homer with a double, ending Junis’s outing. Reliever Kevin McCarthy surrendered a run-scoring double to Teoscar Hernandez.
Rookie Jacob Waguespack (2-1) went six innings for his second win in his fourth big-league start. He held the Royals to three hits and one run. Cam Gallagher barely cleared the left-field bullpen fence for his second homer, drilling a 2-2 pitch from Waguespack to open the third inning.
Junis (6-10) was cruising for much of the game, retiring the side on eight pitches each in the second, third and fourth innings. But the Jays got even 1-1 in the sixth as Biggio walked, stole second and scored on Justin Smoak’s single.
Waguespack got exceptional defensive help early. Deep outfield catches by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in left and Randal Grichuk in centre prevented extra-base hits by Jorge Soler in the first inning and Hunter Dozier in the third. Smoak speared Ryan O’Hearn’s hot shot to start a double play in the fourth and Gurriel charged in for a shoetop grab of Nicky Lopez’s weak liner to end the inning.
Right after that play, however, Gurriel left the game with a sore right knee.
Rookie right-hander Justin Shafer worked a perfect ninth for his first career save.
With the Blue Jays shedding veterans, they have the second-youngest team in the majors and manager Charlie Montoyo is encouraging the kids, including Biggio and Bichette, to take leadership roles.
“What I’ve been telling Biggio and Bo when they got here: ‘This is your clubhouse, here we go. You guys were leaders in the minor leagues, it’s the same thing here. Just because you’re a rookie, don’t [avoid being] a leader in the big leagues. Go ahead and start now,“’ Montoyo said. “And they have been doing that.”
Toronto placed LHP Ryan Borucki (0-1, 10.80 ERA) on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with inflammation of the left elbow. His roster spot was filled by LHP Buddy Boshers, called up from Triple-A Buffalo (0-2, five saves, 2.78 ERA). Boshers has big-league experience with the Angels and Twins.