TORONTO — Danny Jansen homered and scored three runs, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in a pair and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Washington Nationals 6-3 on Monday night.
Jansen hit his career-best 16th home run, a solo shot in the third inning, as Toronto began a stretch of 12 games against teams at or near the bottom of the standings. The Blue Jays visit Colorado and Oakland next, then host Kansas City.
The Rockies, Athletics and Royals all trail their divisions. Washington came into this series one game ahead of the last-place New York Mets in the NL East.
Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman pitched five innings to win for the first time in three starts. Gausman (10-8) allowed three runs and seven hits.
Gausman walked two and struck out seven, boosting his AL-leading total to 202. Atlanta’s Spencer Strider leads the majors with 236.
Trevor Richards pitched two innings, Génesis Cabrera worked the eighth and Jordan Hicks finished for his 12th save in 15 chances.
Joey Meneses had three RBIs and CJ Abrams had three hits and three stolen bases but the Nationals lost their second straight after winning the previous three.
Washington right-hander Josiah Gray (7-11) allowed four runs and four hits in two innings, extending his winless streak to six starts. He walked four and struck out two.
Meneses hit an RBI single in the first but Toronto scored four in the second. Guerrero hit an RBI double, and George Springer and Davis Schneider both had RBI singles.
Meneses cut it to 5-3 with a two-run double in the fifth but Kevin Kiermaier replied with an RBI single off Andrés Machado in the bottom half.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: Toronto put 3B Matt Chapman on the 10-day injured list because of a sprained right middle finger and recalled INF Ernie Clement from Triple-A Buffalo.
NO BO
Shortstop and AL hits leader Bo Bichette was not in Toronto’s lineup Monday. The two-time All-Star was scheduled to undergo an MRI on the sore right quad that forced him out of Sunday’s 10-7 loss to Cleveland after five innings.
Bichette was batting .314, second in the AL behind Tampa Bay’s Yandy Diaz.
ROSTER MOVES
Washington selected the contract of C Drew Millas from Triple-A Rochester and transferred RHP Carl Edwards Jr. (right shoulder) to the 60-day IL. OF Blake Rutherford was optioned to Triple-A following Sunday’s loss at Miami.
EVERYWHERE MAN
Blue Jays rookie Schneider started at third base, his third position in three games. Schneider started at second on Saturday and in left field Sunday.
UP NEXT
RHP José Berríos (9-9, 3.55 ERA) is scheduled to start for Toronto on Tuesday against Washington LHP MacKenzie Gore (6-10, 4.38).
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