Blue Jays rally to beat Athletics 4-2 in Guerrero’s debut

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. capped his major league debut with a double leading off the ninth inning for his first hit, and Brandon Drury followed with a winning two-run homer with two outs to lift the Toronto Blue Jays over the Oakland Athletics 4-2 on Friday night.

The 20-year-old son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero, considered the top prospect in the major leagues, grounded out in the second, was robbed of an extra-base hit by left fielder Stephen Pinder’s leaping catch in the fourth, then flied out to right in the sixth.

Guerrero hit an opposite-field double down the right-field line on a 2-2 fastball from Yusmeiro Petit (0-1). Billy McKinney sacrificed pinch-runner Alen Hanson and, with the infield in, Teoscar Hernández lined out to second baseman Jurickson Profar.

Drury followed with a drive over the center-field wall.

Ken Giles (1-1) struck out two on a one-hit ninth.

Eric Sogard’s first-inning homer and Randal Grichuk’s third-inning RBI single built a lead off Mike Fiers, but Robbie Grossman hit a two-run homer in the eighth off Joe Biagini.

Guerrero Jr. missed the start of the season after an oblique injury in spring training.

PADRES 4, NATIONALS 3

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Renfroe hit a tiebreaking solo drive in the ninth inning, and San Diego topped Washington after Carter Kieboom went deep for the Nationals in his major league debut.

Renfroe, who entered as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning, drove Sean Doolittle’s 1-2 pitch over the wall in left-center for his fifth homer. It was only the second run allowed by Doolittle (3-1) in 12 appearances.

Craig Stammen (3-1) got the win despite allowing Kieboom’s solo homer in the eighth.

Kirby Yates worked the ninth for his major league-best 13th save. He struck out Kieboom to escape a bases-loaded jam.

Washington ace Max Scherzer struck out 10 while allowing two runs over seven innings. He retired his first 13 batters before Eric Hosmer homered in the fifth. He became the 35th player in major league history to record 2,500 strikeouts when Manuel Margot was caught looking in the sixth. Scherzer ended the night at 2,503 Ks.

ROCKIES 8, BRAVES 4

ATLANTA (AP) — Nolan Arenado combined with Trevor Story to homer on consecutive pitches in the fourth inning, then hit a tiebreaking double in the sixth that led Colorado over Atlanta for the Rockies’ ninth win in 11 games.

Daniel Murphy went 3 for 4 with two doubles for the Rockies, who had seven extra-base hits.

Tyler Flowers homered twice for the Braves, who have lost three of four.

Story homered to tie the score 1-1 and Arenado connected on a curveball. Story has hit safely in a career-best 14 straight games.

Ender Inciarte’s RBI single tied the score in the bottom half, but Story, Arenado and Murphy hit consecutive doubles for a 4-2 lead in the sixth against Max Fried (3-1).

Charlie Blackmon had an RBI single in the seventh, Ryan McMahon added a two-run single in a three-run eighth.

Colorado starter Antonio Senzatela (2-1) gave up three runs, seven hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. Wade earned his fourth save in four chances.

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