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Joey Votto’s homecoming ended on a stellar note for the Etobicoke native that put a damper on a rather promising homestand for the Blue Jays.
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Votto snapped a 2-2 tie with a solo homer off Yimi Garcia in the eighth inning Sunday at Rogers Center to help the Reds avoid the sweep in Toronto with a 3-2 win.
It was Votto’s first homer of the year, his last coming on the final day of the regular season last year in a 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Votto only returned to the majors on Friday at the beginning of this series following a rehab assignment that followed a positive test for COVID that kept Votto out of action for almost three weeks.
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Neither starter was around to factor into the decision in this one.
Jays starter Yusei Kikuchi, who was so dominant in his last outing, needed 37 pitches just to get out of the first inning.
Kikuchi only gave up one hit in the inning but walked three and hit another. The one hit, a double by Artisdes Aquino, came with the bases loaded and drove in two when it hopped over the left field wall on a bounce for a ground-rule double.
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Kikuchi settled down after that but the high pitch count meant an early departure with Kikuchi leaving after just 41/3 innings and those two earned runs on his linescore.
Kikuchi wound up striking out seven and allowed just one more hit after that lengthy first inning.
Cincinnati starter Graham Ashcraft was making his major league debut in this one and matched Kikuchi almost perfectly. He too lasted just 4 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks.
Third baseman Matt Chapman drove into Santiago Espinal, who had doubled in the second, with the first Jays run.
Bo Bichette’s groundout in the third scored George Springer from a third who was aboard on a hit by pitch to start the frame.
Votto’s eighth inning homer made a loser out of Yimi Garcia who fell to 0-3. Cincy reliever Alexis Diaz picked up the win in relief and improved to 2-0.
The Jays left seven runners on base on the afternoon, an area of concern that continues to grow for the home side.
The Jays finish up the six game homestand with four wins and two losses and now head out on the road to St Louis for a mini two-game series.