Eugenio Suarez and Pavin Smith combined to drive in seven runs as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Toronto Blue Jays 9-5 on Thursday.
Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman struggled through 4 1/3 innings to take the loss, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out four.
Catcher Alejandro Kirk blasted two solo home runs for Toronto (41-34), which was denied its sixth sweep of the season after winning the first two games of the interleague series.
Suarez’s damage came early for the Diamondbacks (37-37), who climbed back to .500 with the win.
The third baseman backed up a bloop single from Canadian Josh Naylor with his 22nd home run of the season in the second inning, then struck again in the third with a two-out, two-run double. He added a single in the fifth and finished a triple away from the cycle.
Smith, the first baseman, smashed a two-run home run in the fifth inning and drove in another run on a sacrifice fly one inning later.
Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte and outfielder Randal Grichuk contributed one RBI apiece.
Kirk added an RBI single in the eighth as the Blue Jays briefly threatened a late comeback. Centre fielder Jonatan Clase hit his second long ball of the season to open the inning and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., pounded an RBI double three batters later, but George Springer hit into a double play to end the rally.
Gausman’s performance was a continuation of some June woes. The 34-year-old, whose record fell to 5-6, has now allowed 17 earned runs through 20 innings over four starts this month, a rough follow-up to a sterling May in which he went 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA.
Diamondbacks starter Ryne Nelson (4-2) earned the win after tossing 5.2 innings with four strikeouts and two walks. The lone hit he allowed was Kirk’s first home run.
AILING OUTFIELD
Right fielder Alan Roden was a late scratch for the Blue Jays with right knee inflammation. He was replaced by rookie Will Robertson.
Clase was back in the starting lineup and hitting ninth. He missed Wednesday’s game after he was hit by a pitch in Tuesday’s series opener.
Toronto already has three outfielders — Daulton Varsho, Anthony Santander and Nathan Lukes — on the injured list. A fourth, Myles Straw, has missed two straight games and is day-to-day with an ankle injury.
COMING UP
Toronto begins a three-game home series against the Chicago White Sox on Friday. The Blue Jays’ starting pitcher has yet to be announced, while the White Sox will send out right-hander Davis Martin (2-7, 3.79 ERA).
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