Yangervis Solarte provided power from both sides of the plate to help the Toronto Blue Jays end a record stretch of futility against left-handed pitchers.
Solarte hit two home runs Chris Herndon Jersey Jets , Devon Travis also connected and the Blue Jays beat the Washington Nationals 6-5 on Friday night, their fifth straight home victory.
Washington has lost five of seven on the road.
Justin Smoak broke a 3-3 tie with a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning and Solarte, batting left-handed, followed with a two-run shot off right-hander Justin Miller. Solarte was batting right-handed when he homered in Toronto’s three-run third, a solo blast off left-hander Gio Gonzalez (6-3).
”I was lucky enough that I had good opportunities and we took advantage of it,” Solarte said.
The victory snapped Toronto’s team-worst 11-game losing streak against lefty starting pitchers.
”We’re better than that,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. ”That shouldn’t happen like that.”
Solarte is the ninth player in Blue Jays history to homer from both sides of the plate. The last to do it was Kendrys Morales against Oakland on July 27, 2017. The homers were Solarte’s 13th and 14th of the season, extending his team lead and coming a year after his career high of 18.
It’s the second time Solarte has achieved the feat, having done it also against Arizona on May 27, 2016 while with the San Diego Padres.
Seunghwan Oh (2-2) pitched one inning for the win and Ryan Tepera stranded the potential tying run at third base in the ninth to earn his fourth save in seven opportunities.
Wilmer Difo hit a leadoff single in the ninth, then stole second and advanced on a fly ball. Tepera escaped by getting Adam Eaton to ground out and striking out Trea Turner.
Gonzalez allowed season-worsts of five runs and nine hits in six-plus innings. The left-hander has allowed four or more earned runs in consecutive outings.
Travis singled to begin the seventh and Teoscar Hernandez followed with a fly ball that right fielder Eaton lost in the twilight.
”I had it off the bat but as soon as it goes up, it’s a pretty helpless feeling,” Eaton said.
After the ball dropped for a ground-rule double, Miller came on and surrendered Smoak’s sacrifice fly and Solarte’s two-run blast.
”We had one fly ball that we didn’t see that kind of changed things real quick,” Washington manager Dave Martinez said.
The homer was the first earned run allowed by Miller in nine appearances this season.
”I was trying to throw a fastball away and it just kind of cut on me,” Miller said. ”Hats off to him, he hit a good pitch.”
Aaron Sanchez allowed three runs and six hits in six innings for Toronto.
GREEN LIGHT
The Blue Jays have hit an ML-leading six home runs on 3-0 counts this season. No other team had more than two entering play Friday.
FIRST OF THE SEASON
Washington’s Daniel Murphy singled in the eighth, snapping a 0-for-10 stretch since he returned from right knee surgery Tuesday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Nationals: 1B Matt Adams took a pitch off his left hand while squaring to bunt in the second. Mark Reynolds replaced Adams on defense an inning later. ”I knew from the get-go it was bad,” Adams said. He is day to day. Murphy will DH against the Blue Jays this weekend and return to the infield Monday when Washington returns home to face the Yankees.
Blue Jays: One week after he became eligible to be activated off the disabled list, 3B Josh Donaldson (left calf) has yet to run at full speed. Donaldson may play at least one minor league rehab game with Triple-A Buffalo before rejoining the Blue Jays. … RHP Marcus Stroman (shoulder) will make a second rehab start Monday, this time at Double-A New Hampshire. Stroman pitched 4 1/3 innings at Class-A Dunedin Wednesday. … OF Steve Pearce (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment at Buffalo Saturday. Pearce has not played since May 3. … RHP Deck McGuire was claimed off waivers by the Texas Rangers.
UP NEXT
Nationals RHP Max Scherzer (10-2 Olivier Rodrigue Oilers Jersey , 2.00) faces Blue Jays RHP Marco Estrads (3-6, 5.09). Scherzer is 4-1 with a 2.15 ERA in eight career starts against Toronto. His June 10 loss against San Francisco snapped a streak of nine straight winning decisions. Estrada beat Baltimore on June 10, ending an eight-start winless stretch.
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Julian Edelman has made peace with the fact he won't be playing football for the first four weeks of the regular season.
It won't stop the veteran Patriots receiver from preparing like he will be on the field.
Edelman made several rounds of apologies to his team and fans following the four-game suspension handed down by the NFL for violating the league's policy on performance enhancers. Now he says he plans to use what's left of training camp to make sure his surgically repaired knee will be ready when he is able to return. The 32-year-old receiver missed the entire 2017 season with a torn right anterior cruciate ligament.
Working his way back has been a slow process that's just beginning to pick up.
"It's been a grind," Edelman said Friday. "You're compounding day after day after day after day. ... You're always trying to go out and get better and I have to do a lot better. I feel like I got to get my legs under me a lot more."
Edelman will miss a home game against Houston, trips to Jacksonville and Detroit, plus a home game against Miami.
He will be eligible to return to the active roster Oct. 1, enabling him to make his 2018 debut Oct. 4 against Indianapolis.
Part of the urgency for Edelman is fueled by changes the receiving corps has undergone since the end of last season. It will certainly have a fresh look to it when the season opens thanks to Edelman's suspension, the free agency departure of stalwart Danny Amendola and trade of Brandin Cooks to the Rams.
That is compounded even more with the uncertainty surrounding the status of Malcolm Mitchell, who has yet to participate in a full practice after spending last season on injured reserve (knee).
It's left openings for someone to earn playing time, and the list of candidates is long.
Among those in camp looking to make the roster are Chris Hogan, Phillip Dorsett, Kenny Britt Adidas Sergei Bobrovsky Jersey , Cordarrelle Patterson and Braxton Berrios. Free agent Eric Decker signed with the team Friday following the release of Jordan Matthews earlier in the week.
Edelman said he is encouraged by the work so far from the group. He was particularly high on Patterson, a trade acquisition from Oakland.
"He's a great guy to be around," Edelman said. "He works hard, he's very athletic, and he definitely helps push the unit, so I'm happy we got him. He's going to contribute in a whole different other way. He's very versatile, and just from his track record I'm glad we have him."
Coach Bill Belichick also has been complimentary of the work Patterson has put in during camp.
"He has skills in offense and the kicking game in a number of different areas, return skills, coverage skills, blocking skills, catching skills," Belichick said. "He's got some experience Aaron Rodgers Packers Jersey , so he's able to utilize that. He understands his skill set and how it matches up against different types of players."
NOTES: Friday marked Tom Brady's 41st birthday and the team gave him a celebration on par with the one for his 40th.
There was a balloon figure version of Brady and a giant No. 12 cake. There were also birthday cards set up outside the practice field entrance for fans to sign. Fans serenaded the 19-year veteran with a rendition of "Happy Birthday" after he took the field.
His teammates also got in on the act. Following practice, they got together to sing to the reigning MVP. And in a video posted on the team's official Twitter account, safety Duron Harmon proclaimed Friday a national holiday called, "G.O.A.T. Day."
Tight end Rob Gronkowski said he continues to marvel at Brady's longevity
"It's just unreal. It's remarkable," Gronkowski said. "You just learn from him and you want to get taught from him. You want to be on the same chemistry out on the field because he knows where you need to be. He knows talent around him, he knows guys around him, he's seen talent from the last 15 (or) 20 years on."