TORONTO (AP) — Joey Loperfido and Addison Barger hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied to beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-4 on Friday night.
Toronto trailed 4-3 heading into the ninth against Los Angeles right-hander Roansy Contreras (2-3), but Loperfido tied it with his fourth home run of the year before Barger won it with his fourth.
It was the fourth time this season the Blue Jays hit consecutive home runs.
The blown save was Contreras’ second in four chances.
Toronto’s Chad Green (4-3) worked one inning for the win as the Blue Jays extended their winning streak over the Angels to five.
Angels right-hander Jack Kochanowicz allowed three runs and seven hits in six-plus innings, leaving after Loperfido doubled to begin the seventh. Kochanowicz walked none and struck out one.
Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt allowed four runs and four hits in six innings. Bassitt walked two and struck out six.
All four of the Angels’ runs came in the second inning. Leadoff batter Kevin Pillar was hit by a pitch and scored on Anthony Rendon’s double into the left field corner.
Niko Kavadas walked and both runners advanced on a double steal before scoring on Jo Adell’s two-out double. Taylor Ward capped the inning with an RBI single.
Toronto cut the deficit in half in the fourth, when Alejandro Kirk’s groundout drove in a run and Ernie Clement added a two-out RBI single.
Kirk added an RBI single in the sixth to make it 4-3.
ROSTER MOVES
Los Angeles selected the contract of RHP Ryan Zeferjahn from Triple-A Salt Lake. RHP Mike Baumann was designated for assignment.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Angels OF Mickey Moniak was held out of the starting lineup but could return Saturday, manager Ron Washington said. Moniak left Thursday’s game in the third inning after being hit on the left elbow by a pitch.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays RHP Bowden Francis (6-3, 4.38 ERA) takes a five-game unbeaten streak into Saturday’s scheduled start against Angels RHP Carson Fulmer (0-4, 4.24). Francis is 3-0 with a 1.88 ERA in his past five outings.
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