TORONTO (AP) — For the first time this season, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has homered north of the border.
The 2023 Home Run Derby champion, Guerrero connected off Baltimore’s Trevor Rogers in the fifth inning of Sunday’s 8-1 win.
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Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. watches his solo home run while playing against the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr., center bottom, acknowledges the fans after hitting a solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reacts after hitting a solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. watches his solo home run while playing against the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr., right, is doused by Josh Smith (9) and Myles Straw, back left, after their team defeated the Baltimore Orioles in a baseball game in Toronto, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
His 350-foot drive into the left field bullpen was his ninth homer of the season. It came in Toronto’s 75th home game, sparking a celebration in the dugout.
“It looked like it was a walk-off homer,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said of his team’s reaction. “Vlad’s our guy. It’s just nice to get that out of the way.”
Guerrero is batting .265 with 56 RBIs in 135 games.
With the sellout crowd of 41,805 cheering his name, Guerrero came out for a curtain call.
“Obviously it means a lot,” Guerrero said through a translator.
It was Guerrero’s 29th career home run against Baltimore, his most against any opponent. The hit would have been a homer in six of the 30 big league stadiums.
Guerrero had eight home runs in 18 postseason games last October as Toronto reached Game 7 of the World Series. Three of those homers came at Rogers Centre, including one in Game 6 of the ALCS against Seattle.
A six-time All-Star, Guerrero last homered in a regular season game in Toronto in a loss to Texas on Aug. 17, 2025.
Guerrero Jr. had his second four-hit game of the season Sunday. He nearly homered in his second at bat, lining a double off the wall in right-center.
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Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. watches his solo home run while playing against the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr., center bottom, acknowledges the fans after hitting a solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reacts after hitting a solo home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. watches his solo home run while playing against the Baltimore Orioles during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr., right, is doused by Josh Smith (9) and Myles Straw, back left, after their team defeated the Baltimore Orioles in a baseball game in Toronto, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)
BERLIN (AP) — Iyana Martín led Spain to the bronze medal at the women’s FIBA World Cup on Sunday with an 81-58 win over host Germany.
The 20-year-old Martín scored 22 points to give Spain, which didn't qualify for the last World Cup, its third third-place finish in the tournament after 2010 and 2018.
The Spanish players looked sharper and faster throughout, with turnovers again an issue for Germany after the hosts had 25 in their semifinal defeat to France on Saturday. Germany had six in the first quarter alone and finished with 18 against Spain.
Frieda Bühner wiped away tears while the Spanish players hugged and danced in celebration at Berlin Arena.
“We have to take the pain with us to be better as individual players and as a team,” Leonie Fiebich said as she fought tears while talking to reporters and reflecting on the importance of the game.
“It's unique, it happens only once in a career. I'm super thankful that we could be part of it, the team, the staff, the organization, everything all around it. It was one of the coolest experiences ever. I'll be thinking of it for a long time,” Fiebich said
Germany had been looking for its first medal in the tournament on its second appearance as a unified country including its last time as host in 1998. East Germany finished fourth at the 1967 tournament.
It was Spain’s second victory over Germany after defeating the hosts by 30 points in their opening game – Spain's biggest win over a European team and Germany's heaviest defeat in the competition.
Buoyed by enthusiastic home support, Germany recovered from its opening loss with increasingly impressive wins over Japan, Mali, South Korea and European champion Belgium. Germany was the first team in the tournament to keep France below 90 points with an 86-64 defeat in their semifinal.
“The growth has been very, very positive," said Germany coach Olaf Lange, who had hailed German basketball's "best day” after the win over Belgium.
“We’ve made good progress. Now we have to keep working on ourselves and use this as motivation for the future. We have EuroBasket coming up next year – we have to qualify first – and then the 2028 Olympics. We have to keep going. That’s our motto – keep going – and it doesn’t change today,” Lange said.
Spain was dealt a shock defeat by Mali in its second game but beat Japan to top the group, then defeated Australia in the quarterfinals before a battling 76-66 loss to the United States in their semifinal.
After ending the tournament on a high, Spain is looking forward to a promising future after so many young players shone in the team. Martín, who scored 17 against the U.S. and finished with an average of 17.5 points across her five games, is already a team leader despite her young age.
“She’s amazing. She’s a very young player, but she always makes us play like amazing so for us she’s not young, she is like a veteran player,” the 24-year-old Raquel Carrera said of Martín while clutching the bronze medal around her neck.
Awa Fam, who is 20 years old, scored 17 points in Spain’s first win over Germany. She almost had a double-double in the second game with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Alicia Flórez and Elena Buenavida are both 22, and Helena Pueyo (25) is also likely be part of the squad at the next World Cup.
“They are really young players that can do something amazing in the next years,” Carrera said.
The United States won its fifth straight title with a 97-79 win over France in the final.
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Spanish team poses with medals aafter the Women's Basketball World Cup third-place match between the Germany and Spain in Berlin, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Spanish players celebrate after the Women's Basketball World Cup third-place match between the Germany and Spain in Berlin, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Spain's Iyana Martín fouls Germany's Alexis Peterson during the Women's Basketball World Cup the third-place match between the Germany and Spain in Berlin, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Spain's Maite Cazorla reacts during the Women's Basketball World Cup the third-place match between the Germany and Spain in Berlin, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Spain's Maite Cazorla and Iyana Martín hug during the Women's Basketball World Cup the third-place match between the Germany and Spain in Berlin, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Germany's Leonie Fiebich reacts during the Women's Basketball World Cup the third-place match between the Germany and Spain in Berlin, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
Spain's Maite Cazorla and Iyana Martín hug during the Women's Basketball World Cup the third-place match between the Germany and Spain in Berlin, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)
