Whit Merrifield hit a two-run double to headline a four-run first inning that helped lift the Toronto Blue Jays to a 7-2 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Alejandro Kirk and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. each had three singles as the Blue Jays totaled 14 hits in the opener of the three-game series.
William Contreras hit a two-run home run for the Brewers, who opened a seven-game road trip.
Toronto left-hander Yusei Kikuchi (6-2) allowed two runs, three hits and five walks while striking out four in five innings.
Milwaukee right-hander Adrian Houser (1-1) allowed seven runs (six earned) and a career-high 11 hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Owen Miller singled with one out in the first inning and Contreras followed with his sixth homer of the season.
Toronto then took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the frame. George Springer led off with a single, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Guerrero’s one-out single. Brandon Belt walked, Matt Chapman hit an RBI single and Merrifield capped the rally with his two-run double.
Milwaukee’s Andruw Monasterio, making his first career major league start, singled with two out in the second for his first career hit. He also singled in the ninth and walked.
Toronto added two runs in the home half of the second with the help of some shoddy fielding. Houser missed the bag after taking the throw on Kirk’s grounder to first. Cavan Biggio singled, and the bases were soon loaded after Brian Anderson muffed Springer’s grounder to third. A run scored on Bo Bichette’s fielder’s choice grounder and Belt added an RBI single.
Merrifield, Kirk and Biggio singled in the third to bump the lead to 7-2.
Kikuchi’s second strikeout of the game, which came in the fourth inning, was his 500th in the majors.
Bryse Wilson replaced Houser with one out in the fifth after a walk and a single. Wilson pitched around a single in the sixth.
Nate Pearson replaced Kikuchi in the sixth and struck out four in two perfect innings.
Adam Cimber retired the first two batters of the eighth inning before allowing a walk and hitting a batter with a pitch. Tim Mayza replaced him to get the final out.
Yimi Garcia worked around a hit batter and a single in the ninth for the Blue Jays.
–Field Level Media
