TORONTO (AP) — Jonah Bride reached base three times and drove in two runs, Otto Lopez had two hits and an RBI against his former team and the Miami Marlins completed a three-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays, winning 3-1 in Sunday’s regular-season finale. “It’s a good moment, especially to end the season this way,” bench coach Luis Urueta said. Ryan Weathers (5-6) allowed one run and three hits in 6 1/3 innings to win his second straight start.
Weathers walked two and struck out six. Weathers pitched out of a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam in the first inning and retired 16 straight batters between the second and seventh. “It felt good,” Weathers said.
“Any time you can do well against a quality lineup is good.” Anthony Bender got the final four outs for his first save in five chances as Miami swept a series for the second time. Toronto lost eight of its final nine games to go 7-17 in September.
The Blue Jays finished 39-42 at home. Manager John Schneider put slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the leadoff spot, hoping to increase his chances of becoming the sixth player in Blue Jays history to reach 200 hits.
Guerrero went 0 for 2 with a strikeout and walked twice to finish with 199 hits. Fans booed when Miami’s Lake Bachar missed with a 3-2 fastball in Guerrero’s final plate appearance in the eighth, then rose for a standing ovation when Guerrero was replaced by pinch runner Nathan Lukes. No Blue Jays player has had a 200-hit season since Vernon Wells (21.
