TORONTO — Nathan Lukes's hours in front of a computer, watching video of his swing has been time well spent for the Toronto Blue Jays outfielder.
With a correction or two, the 30-year-old from Sacramento, Calif., enjoyed a breakout series, ending with an RBI double in the eighth inning to give Toronto a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday and a three-game sweep.
Lukes went 5 for 14, including two doubles in the series finale, in the three-game interleague set.
His second double on Sunday came with one out. He drilled it into the left-field corner, scoring the speedy George Springer from first base after his pinch-hit single to centre.
"I was just leaning over the plate a little bit too much and getting beat on the inside corner," Lukes said. "Hopefully, I have figured that one out."
Lukes’s game-winning extra-base hit came off an old teammate Andrew Kittredge (4-5), from their days together in Triple-A Durham.
"I kind of knew what his stuff was going to do," Lukes said. "I was just looking for something in the zone and putting a good swing on it."
The double gave the Blue Jays (72-78) their fifth sweep in 2024, while the Cardinals (74-75) departed with a sub-. 500 record.
This has been a frustrating season for Lukes. He has been used sparingly and had to overcome thumb surgery earlier in 2024.
But when Lukes has started for Toronto, he has come through. In 10 starts, he has hit .366 (15 for 41) with three doubles, two triples, five RBI and has scored seven times.
"Man, I've always liked Nate as a player, as a person," said manager John Schneider. "He puts together good at-bats with two opposite-field doubles. It’s really nice for him to come through in a season that was frustrating for him."
Zach Pop (2-4) of Brampton, Ont., faced only one batter, but he got the final out in the eighth for the win. Chad Green gave up a lead-off single in the ninth but recovered to retire three of the next four Cardinals for his 17th save.
St. Louis tied the game 2-2 in the seventh with a lead-off homer to right field from Lars Nootbaar, his 10th, off reliever Ryan Yarbrough.
The visitors grabbed a 1-0 lead when catcher Ivan Herrera led off the fifth inning with a single. He scored on a one-out double off the centre-field wall from Jordan Walker.
The Blue Jays snatched the lead in their half of the inning thanks to a two-run homer from Davis Schneider, his 12th.
Schneider's second homer in as many games after going without a long ball in more than 2 1/2 months delighted the 34,793 at Rogers Centre.
St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas faced the minimum of 12 batters through four innings. But he began the fifth by hitting Leo Jimenez. Schneider made Mikolas pay for his mistake with a one-out blast to left.
Jimenez missed Saturday's game with a sore right index finger. He showed no signs of slowing down with a brilliant diving stop in the sixth to start an inning-ending double play by flipping the ball while on his stomach to shortstop Ernie Clement.
Mikolas lasted five innings, giving up two runs on three hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Toronto starter Yariel Rodriguez was only good for 4 ⅓ innings, surrendering a run on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
BUFFALO BO — Bo Bichette had a day off in his rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo. In four games with the Bisons, the 26-year-old shortstop has hit .286 (4 for 16) with two RBI.
Bichette is expected to rejoin the Blue Jays on Tuesday after missing two months with a right calf strain.
ON DECK — The Blue Jays have Monday off before embarking on their final road trip of the season with three-game sets against the Texas Rangers and Tampa Bay Rays.
Toronto has climbed to win a game of the fourth-place Rays in the East Division standings.
"I hate looking at the standings and seeing where we are at the bottom in our division," John Schneider said when asked about catching Tampa.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2024.
Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian Press