TORONTO (AP) — Freddy Peralta pitched six scoreless innings for his MLB-leading 16th win, Andruw Monasterio hit a solo home run and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-2 on Friday night in the opener of a series matching the top teams in the National and American leagues.
Peralta (16-5) allowed one hit, a two-out double by Alejandro Kirk in the second inning. He struck out eight and walked one. The right-hander went 4-0 with a 0.32 ERA in five August starts.
Andrew Vaughn had three hits and drove in two runs for the Brewers, who are 20-8 in August with two games remaining this month.
Making his second start for the Blue Jays, Shane Bieber (1-1) allowed two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked none and struck out six.
Monasterio homered off Bieber to begin the sixth, his fourth. Brice Turang singled and William Contreras flew out before Brendon Little came on to face Christian Yelich, who walked. Vaughn followed with an RBI single and Little exited after striking out Sal Frelick.
Caleb Durbin greeted Louis Varland with an RBI single and Isaac Collins capped the five-run inning with a two-RBI double.
Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho exited in the seventh after he was hit on the right pinkie by a 97-mph pitch from Aaron Ashby. Myles Straw ran for Varsho. Manager John Schneider said after the game that X-rays on Varsho’s finger did not reveal a fracture.
Davis Schneider hit a two-run single off Ashby, but Andrés Giménez followed by grounding into an inning-ending double play.
Key moment
Monasterio’s leadoff blast in the sixth sparked the biggest inning of the game for the Brewers.
Key stat
Milwaukee has the best road record in the majors at 39-28.
Up next
RHP Kevin Gausman (8-10, 3.87 ERA) is expected to start for the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon against Brewers RHP Quinn Priester (11-2, 3.44).
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