TORONTO — A collective joy surged through Rogers Centre as Daulton Varsho smashed a three-run bomb to deep right field.
The fans were finally stimulated. Varsho, mired in a deep power slump, broke out of his shell. And, most importantly, the Blue Jays’ offense caught fire Sunday and torched the Cubs for an 11-4 win Sunday.
Varsho’s towering homer plated a trio of runs in the second inning. When the frame concluded, the Jays batted around and scored two more tallies thanks to RBI singles from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and George Springer.
There was an added cathartic feeling to this Blue Jays win, which staved off a sweep from the surging North Siders. Toronto scored just 14 runs over its previous six games and badly needed an outburst. Varsho’s homer served as a massive catalyst.
The Blue Jays punished Cubs starter Jameson Taillon for five quick runs, and when the right-hander gave way to the bullpen, Varsho stepped up again.
At first, it looked like the Jays were following a similar somber script. The club loaded the bases and followed it up with two consecutive strikeouts. Then Varsho brought the crowd back to life with a laser base hit up the middle.
The Blue Jays outfielder looked more locked in Sunday than he has in months. A five-RBI day should boost the confidence a few notches, too.
Hyun Jin Ryu’s performance on the mound set up the Jays’ decisive victory. He allowed two unearned runs in the first inning but was dominant after that, hushing Chicago’s dangerous meat-of-the-order bats for a final line of five scoreless frames.
The Blue Jays starting staff has been excellent this season, and Ryu appears to have absorbed all that positive energy. The big lefty is carving hitters with electric stuff – he struck out three hitters Sunday – but he was fine enough with his command to get the job done.
Overall, this contest was a clean, cohesive effort. The pitching was excellent, and the offense chipped away. As the season comes to a close, the Jays will have much better chances in close games if the bottom-of-the-order players, like Cavan Biggio and Varsho, continue to pile up hard contact.
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