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TORONTO — Blue Jays slugger Marcus Semien established a significant-league file for home operates by a 2nd baseman when he hit his 44th of the time Wednesday in opposition to Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, in a critical 6-5 victory.
Semien’s homer, a two-run drive into the remaining subject bullpen, broke a tie with Davey Johnson (1973 for Atlanta), and gave Toronto an early direct in their September showdown against an AL wild-card rival.
Rogers Hornsby (42 property runs in 1922) and Brian Dozier (42 in 2016) are the only other second basemen in significant-league historical past to major the 40-homer mark.
Semien’s homer was Toronto’s ML-main 249th of the time. They finished the night with 251. But from a crew standpoint, what was much more critical was a victory that snapped New York’s seven-sport successful streak, and stored Toronto hanging all-around the pecking buy in the hunt for the two American League wild-card spots throughout this ultimate 7 days of the period.
The decline trimmed New York’s guide on the prime spot to just 1 game above the second-place Boston Crimson Sox, who defeated the Baltimore Orioles. In the meantime, Toronto stayed just a single sport powering Boston for the No. 2 position, with the Seattle Mariners, also in the hunt, nevertheless to play later Wednesday evening.
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4 of Semien’s household runs this period have appear when he was actively playing shortstop. But the nine-calendar year veteran, an All-Star for the initial time this season, has produced 142 of his 157 starts off at next base.
The homer was the only strike of the evening for Semien, but the Blue Jays, as a collective, ended up in a position to get to Cole ahead of eventually hanging on for the get. Cole allowed five gained operates on 9 hits in 6 innings, when hanging out 6.
“He definitely settled down just after the to start with two hitters, but Semien got him for that residence operate, and that ball just settled into the barrel,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained of Cole. “It was a fantastic position by (the Blue Jays). Very good position by them becoming intense.”
Neither Cole nor Toronto starter, Jose Berrios figured in the choice. But Berrios did a little something most starters haven’t been equipped to do the past two weeks, and which is gradual the Yankees. He authorized a few acquired operates on four hits in 6 innings of get the job done, when striking out 7.
Semien’s teammate, Bo Bichette, hit two home runs in the earn, which include the recreation-winner, a solo shot in the eighth inning.
“This is what we aspiration of executing,” Bichette stated. “I wouldn’t be playing baseball if it was not for moments like this.”
Semien signed a 1-12 months, $18 million deal with Toronto this period. He finished third in AL MVP voting in 2019 with Oakland, when he strike 33 homers with 92 RBIs with an .892 OPS, and is in line to be one of the most marketable totally free brokers this offseason.
The 31-year-old Semien experienced played most of his job at shortstop before leaving the A’s to sign up for the Blue Jays. The property run was his 12th this month, very good for most in the majors. According to ESPN Stats & Information and facts exploration, he is the initial participant in Blue Jays background to hit 12 in a single September.
Toronto now has 4 gamers with 100 RBIs, and it really is the very first time that every has produced it that significantly in a season: Teoscar Hernandez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Semien and Bichette.
“It is really a specific team on each sides of the ball,” Bichette reported.
The Affiliated Push contributed to this report.
