Strong start from Berrios, 3-run homer from Varsho help Blue Jays finish sweep of Angels, 9-2

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Daulton Varsho hit a three-run home run, Jose Berrios dominated over seven innings and the Toronto Blue Jays finished off a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels with a 9-2 victory on Wednesday night.

Ernie Clement and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. each hit a two-run home run and Berrios (11-9) gave up one run on two hits with a walk and five strikeouts as the Blue Jays pulled off their third series sweep of the season and second on the road.

Varsho and Guerrero both had three hits and three RBIs, while Clement added a triple.

“I like the way the guys are going about it,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “With the veteran guys leading the way, we have a lot of young dudes that are kind of learning as they go. When you get good starting pitching like we did, it makes it a lot easier. But I love the way the guys went about it after traveling to the West.”

Matt Thaiss hit a home run for the Angels, who are 1-5 since winning consecutive series against the New York Mets and New York Yankees. Thaiss had two of the Angels’ three hits.

Los Angeles left-hander Tyler Anderson, an American League All-Star, gave up seven runs on six hits over 5 2/3 innings with four walks and eight strikeouts. It was the second time Anderson (9-11) allowed more than four earned runs in a start this season.

“Their starters beat up our hitters and their hitters beat up our starters,” Angels manager Ron Washington said. “We could never put something together to keep something going (offensively).”

The Blue Jays got the jump on Anderson in the second inning when Clement hit a home run, his seventh. It was his first home run since July 10.

Toronto made it 3-0 in the third inning on an RBI single from Guerrero and made it 6-0 in the fifth when Varsho hit a three-run shot, his 15th of the season.

“I don't think it necessarily (is all about) the power,” Varsho said. “I think it's about working the pitcher down and being able to make him make pitches and have him leave it over the middle part of the plate. And not missing that pitch.”

Thaiss’ home run to center in the fifth inning, his second of the season, was just the second hit of the game for the Angels.

The Blue Jays added another run off of Anderson in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly from Leo Jimenez to make it 7-1.

Guerrero’s two-run home run in the ninth inning was his 25th of the season and his second in two games.

“I think the biggest difference with (Guerrero), and with everyone, is the balls they're fouling off now, before they get a mistake, we were putting in play earlier in the year,” Schneider said. “Vlad, in particular, he did that twice this series. It allowed us to take a deep breath with (Varsho's) home run. We need more of that going forward.”

The Angels turned a hit batter, a walk and a sacrifice fly from Taylor Ward into a ninth-inning run.

While winning all three games of the series, Blue Jays pitchers held the Angels to five total runs on 12 hits.

“We were pitching pretty well with the starters and the relievers, and we had a pretty good series overall — offense, pitching and defense,” Berrios said. “It was fun to watch and it's good we had the sweep.”

After collecting five total hits in the first two games of his career to start the series, Toronto’s Will Wagner did not play in the series finale.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: Berrios was hit in the right foot by a comebacker from the Angels’ Michael Stefanic in the third inning but remained in the game after a visit from Schneider and the training staff.

Angels: Two days after he departed a game because of right knee discomfort, catcher Logan O’Hoppe was given the day off. Shortstop Zach Neto and right fielder Jo Adell also were given the day off.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: After an off day Thursday, RHP Yariel Rodriguez (1-5, 3.60 ERA) will take the mound Friday for the opener of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Angels: After an off day Thursday, RHP Jose Soriano (6-7, 3.36 ERA) will pitch in the opener of a three-game home series against the Atlanta Braves.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Toronto Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho reaches for a double off the wall hit by Los Angeles Angels left fielder Taylor Ward in the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jayne-Kamin-Oncea)

Toronto Blue Jays' Jose Berrios delivers to the plate in the second inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jayne-Kamin-Oncea)

Los Angeles Angels' Tyler Anderson delivers to the plate in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jayne-Kamin-Oncea)

Los Angeles Angels' Anthony Rendon, left, tags Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. out at third in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jayne-Kamin-Oncea)

Toronto Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho watches the flight of the ball on a three-run home run in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jayne-Kamin-Oncea)

Toronto Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho hits a three-run home run in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jayne-Kamin-Oncea)

Toronto Blue Jays' Daulton Varsho is congratulated by George Springer (4) after hitting a three-run home run in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Jayne-Kamin-Oncea)

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (AP) — Feeling pretty good on a Saturday night, Connor Zilisch acted like so many teenagers when he slammed an energy drink on a table and started scrolling through his phone.

Then Zilisch interrupted his session with the media because he had to take a call.

“From Dale,” he said.

Yeah, Dale Earnhardt Jr. the Hall of Fame driver who now fields a ride for Zilisch in NASCAR's second-tier Xfinity Series.

That Zilisch could have been scrolling the rest of the night through congratulatory texts and TikTok highlights — and perhaps taking more calls from famous names — is what separates him from any other teenager. The 18-year-old next big thing is a NASCAR race winner.

Zilisch raced to victory in his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut, saving enough fuel in a wreck-marred finish to allow the teen sensation to take the first of what many in the industry expect to be a career full of checkered flags on Saturday at Watkins Glen International.

“I’ve worked so hard for this one,” Zilisch said. “I’ve been working on this one for months. It’s so special.”

Zilisch, who turned 18 in July, spent the majority of the race leading in the No. 88 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports and was nowhere near the chaos in the back of the pack, but he was forced to stretch his fuel.

The race was red-flagged for about 20 minutes — where Zilisch killed time by radioing his team for college football scores — and the race was eventually forced into double overtime, though there was never a serious battle on the 2.45-mile road course for the lead.

“It's just a sense of relief knowing that I can compete against those guys,” Zilisch said.

Zilisch has been pegged by NASCAR drivers as one of the next big future stars.

“It’s cool to have people tell me that,” he said. “I still have a long road ahead of me, a lot of races ahead of me.”

His future truly started at Watkins Glen.

“He’s been really impressive,” Cup driver William Byron said. “He’s doing all the right things and making a lot of speed out there.”

Sheldon Creed was second, followed by AJ Allmendinger, Chandler Smith and Shane van Gisbergen.

Zilisch was go-karting before he started school, and raced in Europe until he was urged by former NASCAR star Kevin Harvick to try stock car racing. Zilisch signed a multiyear development deal earlier this year with Trackhouse Racing.

He’s run a variety of different series this year in the CARS Tour, ARCA, Trans-Am, IMSA and Trucks. Once he turned 18 in July, he was entered into four Xfinity Series races for JR Motorsports.

Age eligible to compete in IMSA sports car racing, he made his debut in January as the endurance driver for Era Motorsports and picked up LMP2 class wins in both the Rolex 24 at Daytona and again at the 12 Hours of Sebring.

Zilisch made an instant impact at The Glen when he trounced the field a night earlier and won the ARCA Series race.

Zilisch had just two career starts in the NASCAR national ranks, both earlier this season in the Truck Series. Pressure? He won the pole and finished fourth at Circuit of the Americas in Texas.

He landed with an Xfinity team that all but guarantees future success.

Zilisch joins the team owned by Earnhardt. The team is a perennial Xfinity title contender that has helped launched Cup Series careers for Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski, Byron and Tyler Reddick, among others. He’ll finish this season for Earnhardt with speedway starts at Kansas, Homestead-Miami and Phoenix.

Zilisch had time to chat with the boss.

“Thank you, I appreciate it, Dale. It's cool, it's really cool,” Zilisch into the phone. “I appreciate everything you've done for me. It's a pleasure to be racing for you guys.”

Zilisch held up his phone so everyone could hear the familiar voice of NASCAR's 15-time most popular driver.

“Tell everyone I said hi,” Earnhardt said to laughter.

Zilisch won the pole and won the first stage before he ran into his only hiccup in the race, a penalty for cutting the course during a caution that dropped him out of the top three.

He regained his lead late and earned the win — yes, a true dream come true.

“There’s a lot to think about when you’re going into your debut like this,” Zilisch said. “I had my own hotel room, so nobody to talk to, just kind of lay there in thought and dream about winning.”

Zilisch became the seventh driver in Xfinity history to win his first race in the second-tier series.

Just hold the bubbly — because he’s only 18, Zilisch was forced to spray an energy drink in victory lane.

“I prepare for every race like it’s the most important race of my life,” he said. “That’s kind of what I did today.”

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

FILE - Connor Zilisch greets team members after the Rolex 24-hour auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Jan. 28, 2024, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)