Guerrero’s RBI single helps Blue Jays beat Brewers 8-4, avoid three-game sweep

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Tyler Heineman (55) hits an RBI double against the Milwaukee Brewers in fifth inning MLB action in Toronto on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

TORONTO — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in the go-ahead run with a single in the fourth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays held on for an 8-4 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday.

Tyler Heineman had an RBI double in the fifth immediately followed by Myles Straw’s two-run single to save Toronto (79-58) from a three-game sweep.

Nathan Lukes had a two-run double in the first and was then driven home by Ernie Clement’s single. George Springer’s double in the second drove in another run.

Max Scherzer allowed four runs on nine hits over four innings, striking out just one. Brendon Little, Tommy Nance (1-0), Louis Varland, Seranthony Dominguez and Jeff Hoffman came out of the bullpen to preserve the win.

William Contreras homered in the first inning to score Jackson Chourio in the first inning for Milwaukee (85-53). Contreras scored Chourio again with a single off the wall in the third after Brice Turang’s solo shot to led off the inning.

Brandon Woodruff (5-2) allowed eight runs — five earned — on 10 hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings, striking out three. Tobias Myers and Rob Zastryzny combined for 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Takeaways

Brewers: The top of Milwaukee’s batting order got to Scherzer early and often, tying the game 4-4 on Contreras’s RBI single in the third. But once Scherzer was off the mound, the Brewers’ hitters couldn’t get anything going, especially from the sixth inning onward.

Blue Jays: Scherzer struggled through his outing but Toronto’s four-hit rally in the fifth gave the Blue Jays enough of a cushion to hold off the MLB-best Brewers. The Blue Jays’ bullpen has been unreliable since the all-star break, but solid outings from Nance, Varland and Dominguez gave the home team the scoreless innings they needed to get the win.

Key moment

Nance took the mound for Toronto in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and one out. He struck out Andrew Vaughn on four pitches and then induced an Isaac Collins groundout to escape the threat.

Key stat

Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette had his career-best 14-game hit streak snapped. He drew a walk but went 0 for 4 at the plate.

Up next

The Blue Jays hit the road, travelling to Cincinnati where Chris Bassitt (11-7) will take the mound for Toronto in a Labour Day matinee against the Reds.

Hunter Greene (5-4) is scheduled to start for Cincinnati.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 31, 2025.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press