Sanchez helps Blue Jays beat Rockies
DENVER -- The Toronto bullpen has been an ongoing problem area this season. But it was not an issue on Wednesday when starter Aaron Sanchez gave nearly all the Blue Jays' relievers the afternoon off as he dazzled the Colorado Rockies.
Sanchez worked a season-high-tying eight innings as the Blue Jays beat the Rockies 5-3 in the rubber game of their series. It was the Blue Jays' first win in a series of three or more games since June 3-5 when they took two of three games at Boston.
Sanchez (8-1) got 14 outs on ground balls, including two double plays. He got Mark Reynolds to ground into one of those double plays in the fourth when the Rockies scored their run and ended the seventh when pinch hitter Ryan Raburn rapped into an inning-ending double play.
The Rockies managed just six singles off Sanchez, who issued two walks and recorded three strikeouts during his season-high-tying 106-pitch outing. Sanchez has won seven consecutive decisions and has gone 12 starts without a defeat since his lone loss April 22 against Oakland.
Once Sanchez left, the Rockies made closer Roberto Osuna squirm. He issued a leadoff walk in the ninth, followed by consecutive run-scoring doubles by Reynolds and Daniel Descalso. Osuna struck out Brandon Barnes. But Tony Wolters doubled, sending Descalso to third.
After pinch hitter Nick Hundley struck out, Osuna hit Charlie Blackmon with a 2-1 pitch to load the bases for Cristhian Adames. He tried to check his swing on a third strike but couldn't as Osuna ended the game with a strikeout.
Entering the game, the Blue Jays' relievers were 8-18 -- by far the worst record of any major league relief corps -- with a 4.31 ERA and 11 blown saves. The Toronto relievers had allowed 39 percent (42 of 109) of their inherited runners to score. Only the New York Yankees at 43 percent (29 of 67) had a greater percentage of inherited runners to score.
Two two-out runs gave the Blue Jays a 3-0 lead in the third. Josh Donaldson hit his 18th home run, and the first allowed by Tyler Anderson (0-2) after starting his career with 19 2/3 homerless innings. Edwin Encarnacion doubled and scored when Troy Tulowitzki grounded a hard single to right.
Junior Lake doubled home a run in the second. Encarnacion was awarded first base on catcher's interference and moved to second on Kevin Pillar's one-out single ahead of Lake.
The Rockies cut the Blue Jays' lead to 3-1 on Descalso's two-out single in the fourth. He came through with his 15th RBI on just his 18th hit after Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez opened the inning with back-to-back singles and Reynolds grounded into a double play.
After Descalso's single, first baseman Encarnacion made a diving stop on Brandon Barnes' hard grounder.
The Rockies' two at-bats that inning with a runner in scoring position were their only such at-bats until the seventh.
Reynolds led off that inning with a single, and Sanchez issued his first walk of the game to Descalso. After Barnes flied to center, Sanchez walked Tony Wolters on four pitches to load the bases but got pinch-hitter Raburn to ground into an inning-ending double play.
In his fourth career start, Anderson, who has a 2.66 ERA, allowed three runs (two earned) in six innings on eight hits and two walks with six strikeouts. He never set the side down in order but never allowed the Blue Jays to mount a sustained rally.
After Anderson left, the Blue Jays quickly tacked on a run when Jordan Lyles gave up successive one-out singles in the seventh to Devon Travis, Dondaldson and Encarnacion. Toronto scored on a wild pitch in the ninth after closer Carlos Estevez, pitching for the first time in three days, loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter.
NOTES: Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado extended his hitting streak to 12 games with an infield single in the fourth. ...Rockies SS Trevor Story was not in the lineup after re-aggravating his right middle finger on his final swing in the eighth inning Tuesday night. Story was hit on the finger with a pitch Sunday. ... Rockies 2B DJ LeMahieu, who suffered a left knee contusion Sunday, was not in the lineup for the third straight game. LeMahieu said his knee was improved and there were no ill effects from Tuesday night when he entered the game after Story was hurt. ... Rockies RHP Tyler Chatwood (mid-back strain) is scheduled to throw five innings or around 70-75 pitches on a rehab start for High Class A Modesto. If all goes well, Chatwood is expected to return to the Rockies' rotation July 5. ... Blue Jays LHP Brett Cecil (left lat strain) will rejoin the team Thursday in Toronto and likely will be activated for a game that night with Cleveland. ... Blue Jays RF Michael Saunders was not in the lineup for a day game after a long, late-night game. He deals with soreness in both hamstrings and underwent surgery in February 2015 to remove most of the meniscus in his left knee.