The American League-leading Toronto Blue Jays edged the Chicago Cubs 2-1 at Rogers Centre on Thursday, taking the rubber match of a three-game interleague set. Right-hander Max Scherzer yielded one run on five hits over seven-plus innings to move to 3-2 since joining Toronto. Jeff Hoffman closed out the eighth and ninth for his 27th save in 32 opportunities. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. delivered the decisive blow, turning an 0-2 pitch from Chicago starter Matthew Boyd into a two-run homer—his 20th of the season—in the seventh inning. Michael Busch’s solo shot accounted for the Cubs’ lone run. Toronto improved to 71-51 overall, 40-20 at home and a major-league-best 24-12 in interleague play. Reinforcements are on the way: outfielder George Springer, sidelined since a July 28 concussion, cleared MLB protocol and began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Thursday. The 35-year-old is batting .291 with 18 homers and 57 RBIs in 101 games. The Blue Jays also expect 2020 Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber to complete a final minor-league tune-up on Friday, while recently promoted prospect Trey Yesavage could be in line for a late-season debut as the club fortifies its roster for an anticipated postseason run.
The D-Backs are up early from this 3-run homer. 😮💨 (🎥: @MLB) https://t.co/c2lOmkyfHC
Lindor makes it home and we're tied once again! 👏 (🎥: @Mets) https://t.co/LMR3i8fufh
Blue Jays ace Max Scherzer's recent pitching bodes well for post-season https://t.co/MjuqKnbCW2 https://t.co/vzohODvTUT