The Toronto Blue Jays managed to bounce back Friday without Vladimir Guerrero Jr., holding off the Philadelphia Phillies for a 5-4 win at Citizens Bank Park. Josh Smith had three hits, including a solo home run, Andrés Giménez also went deep, and Toronto’s bullpen held on through a tense ninth inning after the Phillies loaded the bases.
Guerrero had missed the previous three games because of right hamstring tightness, leaving Toronto without its biggest offensive name as it opened the series. The Blue Jays improved to 55-62 with Friday’s victory and now have a chance to take the series against a Philadelphia team that entered Saturday at 62-55.
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Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Friday that Guerrero was feeling better, with the hamstring tightness easing. The manager also said the first baseman was trending toward a return Saturday after doing more work on the field before the game.
That proved to be the case. After going through his pregame work without any apparent setback, Guerrero was cleared to return to the lineup against the Phillies, batting third and playing first base against Philadelphia right-hander Aaron Nola.
The six-time All-Star enters the game batting .265/.345/.357 with six home runs, 44 RBIs, 54 runs and seven stolen bases in 103 games. His .702 OPS remains well below last year’s .959 mark, making his return important to a Toronto lineup that has scored 425 runs and ranks near the bottom of the league in slugging percentage.
Toronto will send Max Scherzer to the mound Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. ET. Guerrero’s return gives the Blue Jays their regular first baseman back as they try to win a second straight game and improve to six games below .500.
