Jose Berrios pitched seven strong innings to win his seventh consecutive start and earn his career-best 16th victory as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting St. Louis Cardinals 7-2 on Saturday afternoon.
Berrios (16-9) allowed one run, two hits and two walks with four strikeouts to help the Blue Jays take the first two games of the three-game series.
Davis Schneider went 3-for-4 with a solo homer and two RBIs and Alejandro Kirk also had two RBIs for the Blue Jays (71-78), who have won three of their last four games.
Jordan Walker hit a solo home run for the Cardinals (74-74), who were held to three hits and have lost four of their last six games.
Cardinals right-hander Kyle Gibson (8-7) allowed five runs (one earned), four hits and three walks with one strikeout in 5 1/3 innings.
Walker’s third home run of the season, a drive to left-center field with two outs in the third, was the first hit of the game.
Schneider tied the game on his 11th homer of the season, a blast to right-center with one out in the bottom of the third. Joey Loperfido doubled before Gibson worked out of the inning.
Berrios overcame a walk and a single in the fourth.
The Blue Jays loaded the bases with one out in the sixth when Nathan Lukes singled and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Spencer Horwitz walked. On Ernie Clement’s grounder, Masyn Winn bounced his throw to home for an error that allowed Lukes to score.
After Ryan Fernandez replaced Gibson, a run scored on Kirk’s weak grounder to second. Addison Barger and Schneider added RBI singles.
Lukes tripled and Guerrero had an RBI single for Toronto in the seventh against Riley O’Brien. It was Guerrero’s 500th career RBI. Horwitz walked for the third time and Kirk added an RBI single.
Luis Frias pitched the ninth for Toronto and allowed a run on a double by Alec Burleson and a groundout by pinch hitter Jose Fermin.
Loperfido (left adductor discomfort) left the game after the fourth inning.
Toronto outfielder Daulton Varsho (shoulder) missed his third straight game and infielder Leo Jimenez (finger contusion) was a late scratch from the starting lineup.