TORONTO — Jose Berrios admitted the way the Toronto Blue Jays season was evolving had him down in the dumps. But a midseason pep talk with family turned around his year.
Berrios (16-9) won his seventh straight start, allowing only two hits and a run over seven innings in the Blue Jays 7-2 win against the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday.
"I talked with my family, my father, my brother," Berrios said. "I wanted to be a leader on this team."
The win streak is the third longest in Blue Jays' history behind Roy Halladay's 11 straight in 2003 and Roger Clemens' eight in a row in 1997.
Berrios, who walked two and struck out four, agreed that having an extra day of rest in six of his last eight starts has helped his late-season surge. Toronto manager John Schneider has another view.
“I think he has a really good ability to see what's working for him on a particular start," Schneider said. "Today's breaking ball was really, really good, and he and (catcher Alejandro) Kirk leaned into that."
Berrios was good as the Blue Jays snatched a second straight win in their interleague series. But he shared the spotlight with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Davis Schneider before 33,999 at Rogers Centre.
Guerrero Jr. registered his 500th career RBI. Davis Schneider had three hits and two RBIs, including his first home run in 2 1/2 months, and Alejandro Kirk extended his hit streak to 10 games with an RBI single in the seventh.
"I'm glad the (home run) jacket still fits," John Schneider said, referring to the celebratory blue jacket a Toronto player dons after a long ball.
The manager stuck by his struggling player throughout his summer slump. Why?
“His personality, his work ethic," John Schneider said. "The fact he had performed well at this level before. Give him credit because he works. He's the first one here. He cares a lot, and he's really loved by his teammates."
At 25, Guerrero became the youngest in club history to reach 500 RBIs. Lloyd Moseby had the record when he reached the milestone in 1987 at 27.
“This year he has separated himself and been on a different level offensively," John Schneider said. “He’s a really good hitter, who understands how to drive in runs."
Tied 1-1, the Blue Jays (71-78) enjoyed a four-run sixth inning, sending nine batters to the plate.
After Nathan Lukes led off with a single to left field, Cardinals (74-74) starter Kyle Gibson (8-7) loaded the bases with back-to-back walks to Guerrero and Spencer Horwitz.
A throwing error from shortstop Masyn Winn on Ernie Clement's grounder scored Lukes. This signalled the end of Gibson's day in which he gave up only one earned run on four hits with three walks and a strikeout over 5 1/3 innings.
A ground out from Kirk off reliever Ryan Fernandez scored Guerrero, and back-to-back singles from Addison Barger and Schneider added two more runs.
The Blue Jays added two more in the seventh to go up 7-1 when Lukes drilled a one-out triple into the right-field corner. He scored on Guerrero's single up the middle.
Guerrero scored on a Kirk single, the Toronto catcher's second RBI of the game.
Berrios retired the first eight batters he faced before giving up a two-out homer in the third inning to Jordan Walker, who deposited his shot into the first row of the left-field seats.
Schneider answered in the bottom half of the inning with a one-out opposite-field blast, his first since June 22.
JIMENEZ OUT
The Blue Jays scratched shortstop Leo Jimenez from the lineup just before the game because of a right index finger contusion. Jimenez laid down a bunt single to load the bases in the 11th inning of the Blue Jays' walk-off 4-3 win Friday.
ON DECK
Toronto's Yariel Rodriguez (1-5) will start the final of the three-game series Sunday. The Cardinals are scheduled to counter with righty Miles Mikolas (8-11).
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.
Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian Press
