Kieboom and Ruiz homer and Nationals beat Blue Jays 5-4
TORONTO (AP) — Keibert Ruiz hit a three-run home run, Carter Kieboom had a two-run drive and the Washington Nationals beat Toronto Blue Jays 5-4 on Tuesday night, dropping the Blue Jays 3 1/2 games behind Houston for the final AL wild card.
Washington’s Jacob Young got his first major league hit, a bunt single in the seventh. The 24-year-old center fielder, who debuted Saturday, and also threw a runner out at the plate to end the eighth and preserve a two-run lead.
Washington (62-71) is 17-9 in August and moved two games ahead of the last-place New York Mets in the NL East.
Rookie Davis Schneider homered for Toronto, his sixth in 13 big league games, and added an RBI double. The Blue Jays have lost five of seven.
Washington left-hander MacKenzie Gore (7-10) allowed one run and six hits in five innings to win for the first time in six starts since July 23.
Right-handers Mason Thompson and Hunter Harvey each got five outs before righty Kyle Finnegan survived a shaky ninth for his 25th save in 32 chances.
Finnegan gave up back-to-back singles and loaded the base with a walk to George Springer. Finnegan struck out Schneider, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had an RBI grounder and Danny Jansen hit a game-ending fouledoutt.
Before the game, Toronto put All-Star shortstop Bo Bichette on the 10-day injured list because of a strained right quadriceps, a move retroactive to Monday. The Blue Jays selected the contract of infielder Mason McCoy from Triple-A Buffalo.
Kieboom connected in the second but Schneider replied with a leadoff homer in the third.
Lane Thomas drew a two-out walk in the fifth, Joey Meneses singled, and Ruiz followed with his 16th homer.
Both Nationals long balls came off José Berríos (9-10), who allowed five runs and six hits in six inning and is winless in four starts.
Schneider doubled off the left-field wall to drive in a run and chase Thompson in the seventh. Harvey came on and got Guerrero to ground out.
Whit Merrifield scored on Harvey’s wild pitch in the eighth, with Alejandro Kirk advancing to third. Young ended the inning by throwing Kirk out as tried to score on Daulton Varsho’s flyout.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: Manager John Schneider called Bichette’s strain mild and said the two-time AL hits leader won’t participate in baseball activities for a couple of days. He said Bichette might be ready to play again as soon as the 10 days are up.
UP NEXT
RHP Chris Bassitt (12-7, 4.00 ERA) is Toronto’s scheduled starter for Wednesday afternoon’s series finale. LHP Patrick Corbin (9-11, 4.70) goes for Washington.
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