Blue Jays 9, Brewers 4
Brewers now 59-44 (1st-Tied)
Box Score | Season Schedule
TORONTO — The Blue Jays entered today’s game in last place and 10 1/2 games back in the AL East. But they sure didn’t play like it.
And to be fair, they haven’t played like it at all lately. They are 12-6 since the All-Star break. After a first inning unearned run, Dave Stieb toyed with Brewers batters until Don Money hit a solo homer in the eighth and two desperation runs were scored with two outs in the ninth.
Bob McClure was not nearly as good for the Brewers. He allowed three runs on a double, triple, two singles and a walk in the first inning. The next two batters reached in the second, and McClure’s day was quickly over.
“Bobby just didn’t have it today,” manager Harvey Kuenn told the Milwaukee Sentinel after the game. “He had no location and was high with all his pitches.”
Jerry Augustine and Randy Lerch, making his first relief appearance since being removed from the rotation, weren’t much better. They combined to allow five more runs in six innings to put the Brewers in a 8-1 fifth inning hole.
Former Brewer Buck Martinez was also a thorn in his old team’s side. He went 2-for-3 with a home run, driving in two for the Blue Jays.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t fun to beat these guys,” Martinez said about his last place team beating the first place team.
The Red Sox beat the Orioles 5-2 to to pull back into a first place tie with the Brewers in the AL East.
Game Notes: Cecil Cooper left the game in the fourth with a sore big right toe after being stepped on by Garth Iorg. … Robin Yount had a routine day off. Rob Picciolo got the start at shortstop and went 1-for-4.
