George Springer and Tyler Heineman stroked home runs Saturday afternoon and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2.
The Blue Jays have won a season-best four in a row and will be going for a sweep of the three-game series Sunday afternoon. The Pirates have lost six of eight.
Toronto left-hander Patrick Corbin (2-1) finished six innings, allowing one run, five hits and no walks while striking out a season-best seven. Jeff Hoffman struck out the side in the ninth to earn his fifth save.
Pirates ace Paul Skenes (6-4) scuffled in the first inning. The right-hander allowed Springer’s home run to left on an 0-2 fastball. It was Springer’s 65th career homer to lead off a game. Skenes also allowed a walk and a double in the inning but Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s double-play grounder limited the damage.
Skenes worked around doubles in the fourth and fifth.
Corbin pitched around two singles that opened the second. He retired batters 14 in a row before Bryan Reynolds grounded a single up the middle with two out in the sixth for his second hit of the game. Marcell Ozuna, who struck out in his two previous at-bats, tied the game with a double to right center.
Toronto opened the home sixth with singles by Guerrero and Yohendrick Pinango followed by Jesus Sanchez’s RBI double to right and Ernie Clement’s RBI single to left past a drawn-in infield. Yohan Ramirez replaced Skenes and a run scored when Andres Gimenez bounced into a double play.
Pirates manager Don Kelly was ejected during the sixth over a checked swing call on Sanchez.
Skenes allowed four runs, a career-high nine hits and one walk with two strikeouts in five-plus innings. Skenes has allowed nine runs in his past two starts.
Heineman led off the home seventh against Ramirez with a homer to right, his first of the season and the fifth of his career.
Toronto’s Yariel Rodriguez walked Konnor Griffin and Reynolds with one out in the eight. The runners took second and third on an errant pickoff throw by Rodriguez. A run scored on Ozuna’s groundout to first. Adam Macko replaced Rodriguez and hit Spencer Horwitz with a pitch before ending the threat on a comebacker.
