Hoffman surrenders grand slam in 8th, Blue Jays lose 6-2

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PHOENIX — Corbin Carroll hit a grand slam to break an eighth-inning tie and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the struggling Toronto Blue Jays 6-2 on Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.

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Ildemaro Vargas led off the eighth against reliever Jeff Hoffman (1-2) with a single, extending his majors-leading hitting streak to 17 games dating to last season.

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Alek Thomas followed with a single and Ketel Marte drew a four-pitch walk. Carroll then hit his fourth career grand slam and third homer of the season, a drive to left-centre on a 3-1 pitch.

Juan Morillo (1-1) pitched 1 1/3 innings for his first victory in the majors.

Toronto’s Max Scherzer returned to the place where his big-league journey began and, after struggling in his first three starts, showed flashes of his brilliant career. He got through a 22-pitch first inning allowing just one run, then completed six innings having allowed five hits total. He had one walk and one strikeout in finishing with 74 pitches.

Former Blue Jay Lourdes Gurriel returned to the Diamondbacks’ lineup for the first time since tearing the ACL in his right knee Sept. 1. The left-fielder was 0-for-4 and threw out Myles Straw trying to stretch a single into a double to end the Toronto fourth.

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The Blue Jays tied it in the sixth after an overturned call kept the inning going. With Eloy Jimenez on first base and one out, Andres Gimenez hit a grounder to first for an apparent double play. But the replay showed shortstop Geraldo Perdomo was off the bag at second. Kazuma Okamoto followed with a two-out RBI single to tie it 2-2 and chase Zac Gallen.

Gallen gave up nine hits but just two runs in 5 2/3 innings.

The Jays have lost four straight and slipped to 7-13.

UP NEXT

Toronto RHP Kevin Gausman (0-1, 2.42) was set to face RHP Ryne Nelson (1-1, 3.54) on Sunday in the series finale.

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