Josh Smith collected three hits, including a homer, and scored three runs as the visiting Toronto Blue Jays held on to nip the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 on Friday.
In a back-and-forth game that started two hours after the scheduled first pitch due to inclement weather, Toronto reliever Tyler Rogers survived a shaky ninth inning. Philadelphia scored twice and had the bases loaded with one out before the submariner got the final two outs — including covering first on a bang-bang play to end it.
Jose Soriano and five relievers combined to throw a five-hitter, although the Blue Jays’ staff issued 10 walks in the game. Soriano allowed two runs (one earned) and four hits in 4 2/3 innings. Lazaro Estrada (1-0) worked 1 1/3 frames to earn the win, and Rogers picked up his fourth save.
Andres Gimenez hit an early home run for Toronto, and Alejandro Kirk provided a pair of sacrifice flies. The Blue Jays were playing their third game in three nights in three cities, including a series finale in Houston on Wednesday and a makeup game in Chicago on Thursday.
Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler (10-3) issued five walks while throwing 116 pitches in 5 1/3 innings. He gave up four runs and seven hits, striking out six.
Wheeler struck out three of the four batters he faced in the second inning. The lone exception was Gimenez, who homered on the first pitch he saw from the veteran right-hander.
Philadelphia drew even in the bottom half of the second, when Toronto left fielder Jesus Sanchez misplayed J.T. Realmuto’s single, allowing Brandon Marsh to score from first.
Both teams scored a run in the third inning. However, the 2-2 deadlock didn’t last long, as the Blue Jays authored a two-out rally against Wheeler in the fourth, capped by Nathan Lukes’ RBI single to right.
Philadelphia wasted key scoring opportunities in the fifth and seventh before Smith’s solo shot against Caleb Kilian in the eighth — his first homer since joining the Blue Jays — pushed Toronto’s edge to 5-2.
The Phillies drew three walks, had an infield single and also benefited from a catcher’s interference in the ninth to pull to within one run in the bottom of the ninth before Rogers retired Marsh to end the game.
