Merrifield Bops 1st HR as Blue Jays Sweep Pirates

The Blue Jays completed a three-game road sweep of the Pirates with a 10-1 win Sunday. 

Here's what you need to know.

Kikuchi Spins 6.1 Innings of Shutout Ball

A 3.35 ERA looks good on Kikuchi. The Blue Jays' left-hander flushed a tough outing from the Boston series and began anew in Pittsburgh, slicing through the Bucs order for 6.1 shutout innings. 

Kikuchi didn't miss many bats (just three strikeouts) but still roared through a game that was delayed two hours due to rain. The 31-year-old showed no signs of rust, though, ramping the fastball as high as 97 mph.

Whit's First Homer; Varsho Leaves The Park

If you ask Whit Merrifield, he'll tell you this is the player he's always been: tons of contact, speed, and havoc on the bases. This year, the two-time AL hits leader has familiarized Blue Jays fans with how he operates, slashing .291/.342/.408 through 28 games. He's gone further than that, too, reaching base in 25 of 28 contests

For all his on-base wonders, Merrifield had yet to homer in 2023, until Sunday. The 34-year-old mashed a hanging curveball from Roansy Contreras, parking the ball into the left field stands at PNC Park. 

Merrifield's 385-foot home run, his first blast since Oct. 2, 2022, put the Jays ahead by four runs, a lead they wouldn't relinquish.  

Toronto added to its cushion in the ninth inning when Daulton Varsho turned on a ball and crushed it deep to right field. The majestic blast carried over the grandstand, out of the park, and into the Allegheny River, where a fan jumped into the water to snag a souvenir.

Varsho became the first Blue Jays to ever smash a ball into the river and the first player to accomplish the feat this season. 

AL East Check-In

With a win, the Blue Jays moved to 21-14 are now third in a very competitive AL East division. Despite losses from the Orioles and Yankees Sunday, all five teams remain above .500. By comparison, the Pirates, now 20-15, lead the NL Central by one game.

You'd think three straight wins would get you somewhere, but that's not the case in this hellscape of a division. It's an unfair setup for Toronto — a conundrum that not even a more balanced schedule can fix.

When MLB announced each team would play six fewer games against divisional rivals, it was assumed the AL East would benefit. But now over 30 games into the season, the inverse has happened. AL East teams are clubbing NL teams during this weaker iteration of the schedule and subsequently skyrocketing the competition among the Jays, Rays, Yankees, Orioles, and Red Sox.

This trend won't quit anytime soon, either. Every game is consequential, which is why the Blue Jays' weekend sweep vs the Pirates was crucial for them turning things around.