Renfroe hits 3-run HR, Padres top Jays 6-3 for 4th straight
TORONTO (AP) — When Hunter Renfroe has a chance to give the San Diego Padres a lead, he tends to make the most of the opportunity.
Friday night was no different.
Renfroe hit a tiebreaking, three-run home run in the eighth inning, Greg Garcia and Austin Hedges also went deep, and the Padres beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-3 for their fourth straight win.
It's the ninth time this season Renfroe has homered to give his team a lead, tying him with teammate Franmil Reyes for second-most in the majors. Only Milwaukee's Christian Yelich (10) has done it more often.
"He loves those situations," manager Andy Green said of Renfroe. "It's been really, really impressive."
Toronto became the first team to start two players with Hall of Fame fathers after calling up Cavan Biggio — son of Craig — for his big league debut. Biggio started at second and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was at third.
Renfroe snapped a 3-3 tie by homering on an 0-2 pitch from right-hander Daniel Hudson (3-2). It was his 12th home run of the season, the fifth with two strikes.
"He threw two fastballs right down the middle, and I was a little upset at myself for not swinging at them," Renfroe said. "I was able to get my two-strike approach down and battle and able to hit a ball enough on the barrel to get it out."
Matt Wisler (2-1) got one out for the win and Craig Stammen finished for his second save in six opportunities.
Freddy Galvis hit a two-run homer and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had a solo shot, but Toronto lost its fourth straight. The Blue Jays are 6-16 in May.
Padres left-hander Joey Lucchesi was perfect through four innings, striking out eight, including six straight.
"I felt locked in," Lucchesi said.
Lucchesi has allowed three earned runs or fewer in four straight starts.
"I would have loved to see him get a win today," Green said. "He pitched really well."
Lucchesi walked Randal Grichuk on four pitches with one out in the fifth, and Galvis followed with a homer that bounced off the top of the wall in left, his seventh. Two pitches later, Gurriel tied it with his first home run of the season. Gurriel was called up along with Biggio.
Biggio went 0 for 3 and struck out twice.
Lucchesi allowed three runs and three hits in 6 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out a career-high 11.
"He had us off-balance the whole time," Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said.
Blue Jays right-hander Tyler Thornton allowed three runs and four hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out a career-high 10.
"My stuff was probably the best it has been all year," Thornton said. "I made two mistake pitches."
Those mistakes were the two homers Thornton allowed. Hedges opened the scoring with a solo drive in the third, his fifth, and Eric Hosmer made it 2-0 with a two-out RBI single.
Garcia extended the lead to 3-0 with a leadoff blast in the fifth, his second.
The Padres promoted slugging prospect Josh Naylor, who hit 10 homers in 45 games with Triple-A El Paso this season. Naylor is from Mississauga, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto. He went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres: OF Alex Dickerson (right wrist) was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 20. ... Left-hander Aaron Loup (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
JOY OF SIX
Lucchesi is the eighth Padres pitcher to strike out six straight since tracking began in 1974. The last to do it was Andrew Cashner, against Houston on April 29, 2015.
STREAK WATCH
San Diego won a season-high five straight from April 21 to 27.
ROSTER REPORT
Toronto also recalled left LHP Thomas Pannone. The Blue Jays optioned OF Billy McKinney and INF Richard Urena to Triple-A. Left-handed knuckleballer Ryan Feierabend was designated for assignment and right-hander Elvis Luciano was placed on the bereavement list.
UNHAPPY AT HOME
The Blue Jays have lost nine of 11 at home. They're 9-17 overall at Rogers Centre. Toronto entered with an MLB-worst .201 home batting average.
UP NEXT
Padres: RHP Cal Quantrill (0-2, 5.40) makes his fourth big league start in the stadium where his father Paul pitched for the Blue Jays from 1996 to 2001.
Blue Jays: RHP Edwin Jackson (0-1, 6.30) makes his third start for Toronto. He's 1-6 in 16 career games against San Diego.
