Justin Turner goes 3 for 4 and scores three runs as the Blue Jays defeat the Rockies 5-0

TORONTO – Justin Turner went 3-for-4 and drove in three runs as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Colorado Rockies 5-0 on Sunday.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added an RBI single in the third inning as Toronto (8-8) won back-to-back games. Isiah Kiner-Falefa drove in another run with a basehit of his own in the eighth.

Jose Berrios (3-0) had seven hits in seven scoreless innings with two hits.

Genesis Cabrera and Nate Pearson secured Berrios' win with two scoreless innings of relief.

Kyle Freeland (0-3) gave up four runs on seven hits in five innings as Colorado (4-12) lost the rubber game of the three-game set at Rogers Center.

Victor Vodnik, Jalen Beeks and Anthony Molina came out of the Rockies' bullpen, with the latter giving up a run.

Turner opened the scoring in the first when he blasted a single into shallow right field, scoring George Springer from second. The inning ended when Turner attempted to steal second on his next at-bat attempt and was gunned down by Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings.

Guerrero drove in a run in the third when his hit fell to center field, scoring Kevin Kiermaier from third base to give the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead. Kiermaier had reached base with a single, advanced to second base on a throwing error by Freeland on a pickoff attempt, and then advanced to third base on Springer's sacrifice fly.

Turner struck again two batters later with a double that scored Guerrero.

It was the designated hitter's seventh RBI for Toronto. Turner signed a one-year, $13 million contract with the Blue Jays on January 30, replacing Brandon Belt as the team's DH.

Turner collected Springer again in the fifth inning, his third hit of the day falling to shallow center field. Turner's batting average rose to .386 and his OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) was 1.095.

Toronto rallied again in the eighth inning, with Ernie Clement, Alejandro Kirk and Kiner-Falefa hitting three straight singles. Kiner-Falefa's two-out hit gave Clement a 5-0 lead.

Pearson came on in the ninth and struck out Elias Diaz, Nolan Jones and Brenton Doyle to end the game.

ON DECK – Chris Bassitt (1-2) will start Monday when Toronto hosts the New York Yankees in the opener of a three-game series.

Carlos Rodón (1-0) will take the mound for New York.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2024.

John Chidley Hill, The Canadian Press