Bowden Francis pitched seven strong innings, and Will Wagner collected hits in his first three at-bats during his major league debut as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Los Angeles Angels 4-2 on Monday night.
Leo Jiménez hit his first career home run, and the struggling Blue Jays won the first game of their six-game road trip after losing four of their last five away games.
Mickey Moniak and Jo Adell hit home runs for the Angels, who lost for the third time in four games after winning a series on the road against the New York Yankees.
Wagner, the son of former All-Star closer Billy Wagner, hit a double on the first pitch he saw in the second inning.
“I was nervous on the on-deck circle, but once I was walking to the plate, I just started to gain a little bit more confidence,” Wagner said. “Just go up there and know I’m here for a reason and I was just trying to be aggressive.”
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Spencer Horwitz hit back-to-back doubles in the third inning to start the scoring. Wagner added a single with two outs for his first career RBI, giving the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead.
Jiménez then hit a two-run homer to center field, his first home run in 30 games since his big league debut on July 4.
In his third at-bat, Wagner hit a single to right field in the fifth inning. All three of his hits came against right-hander Davis Daniel (1-4), who allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings, with two walks and five strikeouts.
“Just growing up in big league clubhouses, I kind of know what to expect,” Wagner said. “It was a nerve-wracking day for sure, but once you get that first at-bat out of the way it’s all good.”
Wagner became the fourth player in Blue Jays history to have three hits in his major league debut. He made his first out on a fly ball to center field in the seventh inning.
“It’s pretty cool when you have a debut like that. It kind of gives guys some energy,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “Leo with his first homer, really good defense and awesome pitching. I think we’re all going to remember Will tonight, but can’t overlook what Bowden did.”
The only hit Bowden Francis (5-3) allowed was a solo homer by Mickey Moniak in the third inning. Besides that, he was dominant, not issuing any walks and setting a career-high with eight strikeouts. The right-hander retired his first seven batters and his last 14.
“I think efficiency was the biggest thing for me,” Francis said. “I just feel like I haven’t been scared. Obviously, the home runs happen, but that’s just me attacking it and not being timid. I’m just trying to be in the zone as much as I can.”
Chad Green gave up a home run to Jo Adell in the ninth inning but still earned his 12th save.
Billy Wagner was present while on a busy journey that had him at Triple-A Buffalo over the weekend to watch his son play. After flying back to Virginia on Sunday, he learned of his son’s promotion and quickly flew to California.
The only small issue Will Wagner faced that day was forgetting to leave tickets for his fiancé and father.
“My dad texted me and was like, ‘Hey, we still can’t get in,’” Will Wagner said. “I was like, ‘Oh gosh, I’ve got to get them tickets.’ But we got it all figured out.”
The Blue Jays acquired Will Wagner in a July 29 trade that sent left-hander Yusei Kikuchi to the Houston Astros, where his father played for nine seasons.
“When I was at Houston, in big league camp, we had (Alex) Bregman, (Jeremy) Peña and (Jose) Altuve and I would talk to them every day,” Will Wagner said before the game. “And I was like, ‘These guys are going to be Hall of Famers.’
Now I’m here and I have (Vladimir) Guerrero and Bo (Bichette) to talk to, too. And there is a mix of guys who are younger that I can fit in with, too. So I’m excited.”
