Blue Jays rally from 4 runs down to beat Angels 8-5, avoid series sweep

Toronto Blue Jays' George Springer, second from right, scores under the tag of Los Angeles Angels catcher Logan O'Hoppe, second from left, on a throwing error by O'Hoppe as Anthony Santander, left, and Ernie Clement, right, gesture while home plate umpire Tom Hanahan watches during the sixth inning of a baseball game Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Anthony Santander hit a go-ahead, two-run single during Toronto’s four-run sixth inning, and the Blue Jays snapped their four-game losing streak with an 8-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night.

Daulton Varsho homered and drove in three runs on three hits for the Jays, who rallied from an early four-run deficit with 14 hits to avoid a series sweep. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also had three hits as Toronto won for just the fifth time in 17 games.

Taylor Ward and Jo Adell hit early homers for the Angels, who failed to earn their first series sweep.

Chris Bassitt (3-2) persevered through six bumpy innings for Toronto, allowing eight hits and striking out six. Chad Green earned his first save of the season one night after Jeff Hoffman, who replaced Green as Toronto’s closer this year, blew a two-run lead in the ninth.

José Soriano struggled through five innings for the Angels, yielding three runs on eight hits and four walks.

Ward hit a two-run homer in the first, and Adell followed with a solo shot in the second before Zach Neto scored on Bo Bichette’s error to put the Halos up 4-0.

Varsho had an RBI double and Addison Barger added an RBI single before the decisive rally in the sixth.

Varsho connected for his third homer in six games in the eighth.

Key moment

The Jays loaded the bases against Ryan Johnson (1-1) in the sixth before Santander delivered on Brock Burke’s first pitch.

Key stat

The Jays batted around for the first time this season in the sixth, although they left the bases loaded and stranded 11 total runners in the first six innings.

Up next

Kyle Hendricks (1-3, 5.28 ERA) takes the Angel Stadium mound Friday against Baltimore. Kevin Gausman (2-3, 3.83 ERA) pitches for the Jays in Seattle.

Greg Beacham, The Associated Press