Blue Jays Sweep Athletics, Set Franchise Strikeout Record

0:00It's March 29th. Welcome in. This is Toronto News Today, where local news meets AI, I'm Corey, with the story. Toronto Blue Jays just swept the Oakland Athletics in a three-game series, capping it with a five-to-two win on Sunday. George Springer crushed a lead-off homer on the first pitch, his 64th of that kind in his career. Jesus Sanchez followed with a two-run blast in the third, and Kazuma Okamoto added a solo shot in the fourth to build that lead. Rick Lauer earned the win with nine strikeouts over five in a third innings, allowing just three hits, two earned runs, and one walk. The Athletics scratched across their runs in the fifth on a double, and homer, but Toronto fired right back with a base-as-loaded walk to tie it up, quick. In front of 36,484 fans at Roger's Center, the Jays bullpen locked it down, Braden Fisher, Tommy Nance, Mason, Flu Hardy, and Jeff Hoffman combining for the hold, with Hoffman grabbing his first career save, Toronto Outed Oakland, six-to-five in a tight battle.

1:03Pictures for the Blue Jays set a franchise record with 50 strikeouts across the series, topping the old mark of 45 they had against Seattle. Back in 2023, Oakland's Shay Langeleyers cooled off two, going hitless in key spots after three homers the first two games. Jays swept 11 series last season, and now roll into their six-game homestand Monday against the Colorado Rockies, with Cody Ponds starting opposite. Tamayuki Sugano, in both their season debuts, Toronto's pitching stays hot, carrying this squad forward.