Daniel Vogelbach helps Blue Jays take rubber match vs. Pirates

Field Level Media|published: Sun 2nd June, 17:02 2024

MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates at Toronto Blue Jays

Jun 2, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Daulton Varsho (25) hits a double against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the third inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Daniel Vogelbach hit a go-ahead two-run double in the fifth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 Sunday afternoon.

Davis Schneider added an RBI double for Toronto in the rubber match of the three-game series.

Former Blue Jay Rowdy Tellez had three hits, a walk and four RBIs for the Pirates, who completed a 2-3 road trip.

Toronto right-hander Chris Bassitt (6-6) allowed three runs, eight hits and one walk with seven strikeouts in five innings. He hit three batters with pitches.

Pittsburgh right-hander Quinn Priester (0-5), recalled from Triple-A for the start, gave up four runs and eight hits with three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

The Pirates left the bases loaded in the second inning, but broke through with a run in the third.

Connor Joe led off with a single, took second on a two-out single by Nick Gonzales and scored on a single by Tellez.

Daulton Varsho led off the bottom of the third with a double to right, took third on a flyout and scored on a wild pitch.

Pittsburgh scored twice in the fifth. Oneil Cruz and Ke'Bryan Hayes led off with singles and scored when Tellez drove a hanging changeup to center for a one-out double.

Toronto opened the bottom of the fifth with singles by Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Schneider to put runners at the corners. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grounded an RBI single to right with one out. Priester struck out Bo Bichette and was replaced by Hunter Stratton, who allowed Vogelbach's two-run double.

Toronto added a run in the sixth against Stratton when Varsho bunted for a single, took third on an errant pickoff attempt and scored on Schneider's double.

Toronto's Chad Green pitched around two walks in the sixth, Trevor Richards had a clean seventh and Nate Pearson allowed only a single in the eighth.

Yimi Garcia allowed a leadoff double to Cruz and a two-out RBI single to Vellez in the ninth as he picked up his third save of the season.

Guerrero played third base for the first time since 2019 and handled two chances.

--Field Level Media