By Canadian Press

Randal Grichuk and Aaron Sanchez lead Blue Jays past Athletics 7-1

Apr 27, 2019 | 4:27 PM

TORONTO — Randal Grichuk drove in a pair of runs and Aaron Sanchez allowed just two hits over five innings as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Oakland Athletics 7-1 on Saturday.

Grichuk and Brandon Drury each had three hits for Toronto (13-14).

Sanchez (3-1) was solid in his return to the mound after his last visit was cut short due to a broken fingernail. He pitched five innings and allowed just one run and two hits. He struck out four batters and walked four.

Ramon Laureano scored the only run for Oakland (14-15) after a throwing error was charged to Toronto shortstop Eric Sogard.

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The Blue Jays roughed up A’s pitcher Brett Anderson (3-2). He allowed six runs and ten hits in 4 1/3 innings pitched. He struck out two batters and walked two.

Teoscar Hernandez opened scoring for Toronto in the first inning with a fielders-choice RBI. A second run scored on the play when Athletics’ second baseman Jurickson Profar threw the ball away on an attempt to end the inning on a double play. The error allowed Justin Smoak to score from third which gave Toronto a 2-0 lead.

Eric Sogard drove in Danny Jansen with a sacrifice bunt to add to that lead in the second inning. Grichuk then hit an RBI single which gave Toronto a 4-0 lead.

Laureano scored on a throwing error charged to Sogard, who was unable to convert on a double play. The run would cut Toronto’s lead to 4-1 in the fifth.

The Blue Jays scored two more runs later in the inning. Rowdy Tellez hit an RBI single and Jansen followed with an RBI sacrifice fly.

In the sixth, Grichuk hit an RBI double for a 7-1 Toronto lead.

Note: Sogard’s first-inning double extended the shortstop’s hitting streak to nine games. It is the fourth longest hitting streak to start a Blue Jays career. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. played in his second game and recorded his first career walk in the fifth inning. He went one-for-four on the day. Announced attendance was 22,254. … Toronto Police Services had to detonate a suspicious package found in the hotel attached to Rogers Centre, breifly closing down traffic in the neighbourhood.

David Alter, The Canadian Press