Oh, Canada! Guards’ Josh Naylor, Cal Quantrill celebrate homecoming with 8-0 win over Jays

TORONTO — Welcome dwelling.

Josh Naylor and Cal Quantrill celebrated their homecoming Friday evening as if they only put the biscuit within the basket after freezing their backyards for a mid-December skate.

Naylor homered and Quantrill threw seven scoreless innings because the Guardians thumped Toronto, 8-0, at Rogers Centre to retain their maintain on first place within the AL Central. Wayne Gretzky, Dudley Do-Proper or Sergeant Preston of the Yukon couldn’t have carried out it any higher.

The Guardians, who’ve received six straight, are 4-0 on this six-game journey. They’re 8-3 in August with wins in 12 of their final 17 video games.

As Zach Plesac mentioned after Sunday’s sweep of Detroit, “We’re buzzing.”

Naylor and Quantrill have been born in Canada, between 45 minutes and a hour’s drive Rogers Centre. Naylor grew up a Pink Sox fan and didn’t go to many Blue Jays video games. Quantrill’s father, Paul, pitched for the Jays for six seasons.

Friday evening each their go lists have been booked strong. Household, buddies, former teammates and coaches, even Naylor’s previous civic’s trainer, got here to Rogers Centre to see two of Canada’s favourite sons.

Naylor’s two-run homer to left subject, his fifteenth of the season, was a giant a part of Cleveland’s five-run third inning.

Quantrill (9-5, 3.67) allowed one hit in seven innings. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who doubled with one out within the fourth, was the one Blue Jay to achieve base in opposition to him.

“It was superior,” mentioned Quantrill. “There have been lots of people I owe my profession to who have been on the sport tonight. It’s enjoyable to pitch nicely in entrance of these guys.”

Quantrill mentioned he had about 25-30 individuals on the sport. “And lot of individuals have been right here I didn’t know have been coming,” he mentioned. “I bought to see them after I was strolling out to throw my bullpen.”

Naylor was slightly late stepping into the clubhouse after the sport. He was signing autographs and thanking household and buddies for coming.

“I made positive to say hello everybody and thank them for popping out,” mentioned Naylor. “There have been about 100 individuals or so. I simply needed to indicate my gratitude.”

Cleveland starters over the past six video games have allowed three runs in 38 1/3 innings. Quantrill, who struck out seven Friday, began the streak with six scoreless innings in opposition to Houston on Aug. 6.

The Guardians are 7-0 in Quantrill’s final seven begins. He’s 5-0 with a 3.26 ERA in these seven begins.

“I believed we commanded the fastball rather well tonight,” mentioned Quantrill. “Fairly truthfully, getting an eight- run lead took the air out of the Jays’ tires. I believed we stayed on them, prevented deep counts and induced candy contact on the finish.”

Jose Berrios ( 8-5, 5.61), who made his large league debut in opposition to Cleveland as a member of the Twins on April 7, 2016, cruised via the primary two innings earlier than coming undone within the third. The Guardians despatched 10 males to the plate, scoring 5 occasions with the assistance of 5 hits and two hit batsmen.

Berrois, with one out, began his downfall by hitting Austin Hedges. Rookie Will Benson, making his second begin in middle subject, singled. Then got here one of many highlights of the inning.

Steven Kwan rolled a 90-foot bunt down the third baseline that didn’t cease till it hit the bag to load the bases. If the Blue Jays have a kangaroo court docket, someone on the grounds crew must be fined for having a baseline as true as a Roberto Clemente throw from proper subject to the recent nook.

“That was lovely,” mentioned supervisor Terry Francona. “I don’t blame them for letting it roll as a result of it regarded prefer it was going to go foul. It simply caught the nook of the bag.”

Amed Rosario began the scoring with a two-run single to middle on a two-strike pitch by Berrios. Cleveland’s aggressive baserunning arrange the remainder of the inning as Kwan went to 3rd and Rosario took second on the throw.

Jose Ramirez delivered Kwan with a sacrifice fly earlier than Naylor unloaded to left subject to make it 5-0. Naylor added an infield hit within the fourth and was robbed of additional bases within the eighth by proper fielder Teoscar Hernandez.

Naylor and Quantrill have been teammates on and off since they have been on Canada’s junior Nationwide Workforce in 2012. Naylor was comfortable that they each had large video games on Friday.

“That is the place we grew up enjoying baseball,” mentioned Naylor. “We determined our paths right here in Canada. We caught with it and grinded. It’s robust being Canadian developing via baseball, however we caught with it.”

Berrios got here out for the fourth and the Guardians handled him simply as rudely has they’d within the third. Benson reached on a fielder’s alternative at second after Hedges opened the inning with a stroll. Kwan walked, however Rosario lined out to left on a pleasant catch by Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Ramirez, homerless in his first 39 at-bats in August, ended that streak as he golfed a three-run homer over the suitable subject fence to make it 8-0.

It was Ramirez’s twenty second homer, however simply his third because the All-Star break. The homer gave Ramirez 4 RBI in his first three plate look Friday. He has 92 for the season.

Berrios, who allowed eight runs on eight hits in 4 innings, is 0-2 with a 14.54 ERA (14 earned runs in 8 2/3 innings) in two begins in opposition to the G’s this yr.

The Guardians completed with 14 hits, together with three every by Ramirez and Nolan Jones. They’re 4-1 in opposition to Toronto this season. The Blue Jays, main the AL wild card race, have misplaced six of their final eight video games.

Quantrill, Eli Morgan and Nick Sandlin mixed on the three-hit shutout.

Subsequent: RHP Triston McKenzie (8-8, 3.16) vs. RHP Mitch White (1-3, 3.86) Saturday at 3:07 p.m. Bally Sports activities Nice Lakes, WTAM, WMMS and the Guardians Radio Community will carry the sport.

Guardians merchandise on the market: Right here’s the place you possibly can order new Cleveland Guardians gear, together with T-shirts, hats, jerseys, hoodies, and rather more.

In the event you or a beloved one has questions and wishes to speak to an expert about playing, name the Ohio Downside Playing Helpline at 1-800-589-9966 or the Nationwide Council on Program Playing Helpline (NCPG) at 1-800-522-4700.

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