Guerrero’s 3 RBIs help Jays rally past Twins 10-8

As Vladimir Guerrero Jr., came to the plate in the sixth inning the fans at Rogers Centre gave him a standing ovation, already anticipating that he'd be able to drive in the tying run and maybe the go-ahead score.

TORONTO – As Vladimir Guerrero Jr., came to the plate in the sixth inning the fans at Rogers Centre gave him a standing ovation, already anticipating that he’d be able to drive in the tying run and maybe the go-ahead score.

He didn’t disappoint.

Guerrero’s two-run single in the sixth was his fourth hit as he finished with three RBIs, a run, and a stolen base to help the Toronto Blue Jays rally past the Minnesota Twins 10-8 on Saturday. Guerrero said he knew the 35,069 fans were cheering him on when he came to the plate.

“I kind of noticed that but I’ll be honest with you, I was just locked in,” said Guerrero through translator Hector Lebron. “I heard everything but I was locked in.”

Guerrero’s 4-for-5 performance improved his batting average from .253 to .272 in a single afternoon. It’s a stark turnaround as his batting average sank as low as .182 on April 6 and was at .229 on April 30.

The 25-year-old was philosophical about his struggles, invoking the Spanish phrase “la pelota es redonda pero viene en caja cuadrada” which literally translates to “the ball is round but it comes in a square box,” a Latin American metaphor for the unpredictable nature of baseball.

“It’s a long season, six months, you never know,” said Guerrero. “I mean sometimes it’s a lot of ups and downs, sometimes you’re going to be hot sometimes you’re going to be cold.

“It just took me a while to get the feel the way I feel right now and hopefully it keeps going.”