Springer, Okamoto and Sánchez homer, Blue Jays beat A’s 5-2 to complete three-game sweep

Springer, Okamoto and Sánchez homer, Blue Jays beat A’s 5-2 to complete three-game sweep
Springer, Okamoto and Sánchez homer, Blue Jays beat A’s 5-2 to complete three-game sweep

TORONTO (AP) — George Springer hit his 64th career home run, Kazuma Okamoto went deep for the first time in the majors and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the A’s 5-2 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.

Jesús Sánchez added a two-run home run, his first with Toronto. The defending American League champions swept 11 series last season, one fewer than Milwaukee and Seattle, who led the majors.

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Max Muncy hit a two-run homer for the A’s, one of five hits for the visitors.

Toronto’s Eric Lauer (1-0) allowed two runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out nine.

Jeff Hoffman finished for his first save. Hoffman blew the save in Friday’s season opener when he gave up a game-tying home run to Shea Langeliers in the ninth inning.

Toronto pitchers combined to strike out 50 A’s batters over the weekend, tying the team record for a three-game series. Blue Jays pitchers fanned 50 batters in a four-game series against Detroit in 2019.

Springer homered on the first pitch he saw from Luis Morales. Only Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson (81) has hit more home runs in his opening career.

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Sánchez homered off Morales in the third and Okamoto connected for an opposite-field shot in the fourth.

Morales (0-1) allowed five runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Muncy’s blast cut the gap in half in the top of the fifth, but the Blue Jays added another run on Addison Barger’s bases-loaded walk in the bottom half.

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Athletics: LHP Jacob Lopez is scheduled to start in Atlanta on Monday against Braves RHP Bryce Elder.

Blue Jays: RHP Cody Ponce is scheduled to make his Toronto debut on Monday at home against Colorado, who counters with Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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