Toronto Blue Jays Addison Barger celebrates after hitting a walk off home run during ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels in Toronto. The Blue Jays won 5-4 on Aug. 23, 2024.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
Addison Barger will require a video review of his first walk-off homer in Major League Baseball because after his massive moment he had difficulty relaying what it was like to be mobbed by his Toronto Blue Jays teammates.
After Joey Loperfido led off the ninth inning with a solo shot to left-centre field, Barger blasted a 3-2 pitch off Los Angeles Angels (54-75) reliever Roansy Contreras (2-3) to give the home side a 5-4 victory on Friday.
“I probably won’t remember anything,” Barger said. “Honestly, I probably blacked out. It was an unbelievable moment.”
Earlier in his at-bat before 25,421 at Rogers Centre, Barger drove a fastball deep down the right-field line, but foul.
“I’m definitely trying to get a pitch to drive,” Barger said. “But even if I draw a walk there, it’s huge because it’s the winning run and Vladdy was up on deck.”
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was given the night off, but he caught the ceremonial first pitch from Canadian Olympian swimmer Summer McIntosh, who wore her three gold medals from Paris.
Toronto (61-68) manager John Schneider confirmed the plan was for Guerrero to pinch-hit for Steward Berroa, who was to follow Barger.
The Angels jumped out to a 4-0 lead with a four-run second inning thanks to run-scoring doubles from Anthony Rendon and Joe Adell and an RBI single from Taylor Ward.
But the Blue Jays kept it close because starter Chris Bassitt recovered to pitch six innings, retiring the final 10 Angels he faced.
“To his credit, you look up and he goes six,” Schneider said. “We really needed it with kind of a thin bullpen.
“I told him, when he was done to try to take the positives out of tonight. I know one inning sucked, but the fact that he had five scoreless was something to build on for him.”
There also were three outstanding defensive plays that allowed the Blue Jays to mount their comeback. Berrora threw out Nolan Schanuel who was trying to stretch his hit down the right-field line into a double in the eighth inning.
Catcher Alejandro Kirk caught Zach Neto trying to steal in the same inning. Loperfido made a brilliant catch in the left-field corner up against the wall on Schanuel.
“I’ve been taking notes on [Daulton Varsho],” Loperfido said, referring to Toronto’s defensive whiz in centre.
After a rough start since he was traded from the Houston Astros to Toronto, Loperfido has contributed offensively and defensively.
In his last seven games, he has hit .435 (10 for 23 with a double, two triples, two homers and three RBIs). He credits the Blue Jays coaching staff for some adjustments with his swing.
The two bombs extended the Blue Jays homer streak to 12 outings.
Chad Green (4-3) pitched the ninth for Toronto.
Bassitt gave up four hits and two walks, striking out six.
The home team made it close with a two-run fourth inning and added another run in the sixth.
On both occasions, Varsho singled and scored to extend his career-long on-base streak to 20 games, the longest current streak in the American League.
Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz left after Loperfido’s double to begin the seventh. Kochanowicz gave up three runs on seven hits with a strikeout.
Oh Danny Boy
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed former Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen will start in the resumption of the June 26 suspended game at Fenway Park on Monday afternoon.
Jansen will make history as the first person to play for both teams in a game. The Red Sox traded for him on July 27.
“Yeah, he’s catching,” Cora told reporters on Friday. “Let’s make history.”
Severe weather forced the game to be suspended two months ago.
Up next
Toronto right-hander Bowden Francis (6-3) will start the third game of the four-game set against the Angels on Saturday. Los Angeles will counter with righty Carson Fulmer (0-4).