Alejandro Kirk's winning hit in 11th inning pushes Blue Jays past Cardinals 4-3

TORONTO (AP) — Alejandro Kirk drove in the winning run with a bases-loaded single in the 11th inning and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 on Friday night in the opener of a three-game series.

After the Cardinals intentionally walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to begin the 11th, Leo Jiménez advanced both Guerrero and automatic runner Nathan Lukes with a bunt single.

Will Wagner grounded into a fielder’s choice before Kirk won it with a single to deep left over the drawn-in outfield off right-hander Ryan Fernandez (1-5). It was the first game-winning hit of Kirk’s career.

Erik Swanson (2-2) worked one inning for the win as Toronto improved to 3-7 in September.

Cardinals rookie infielder Thomas Saggese hit his first career home run, a tying solo shot in the eighth. Saggese got his first hit and first RBI in Thursday’s win over Cincinnati.

St. Louis came in 9-3 this season against AL East opponents. The Cardinals haven’t lost a series to an AL East team since losing two of three at Boston in June 2022.

The first four Cardinals batters of the game all had singles off Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman, with Nolan Arenado’s bloop hit to center driving home the game’s first run.

A second run scored on Saggese’s fielder’s choice, but Arenado was forced out at second on a quick throw from right fielder Addison Barger.

Toronto responded with a three-run fourth against righty Erick Fedde. Guerrero hit an RBI double, Spencer Horwitz followed with a sacrifice fly, and Kirk drove in Guerrero with a two-out single.

Saggese tied it by connecting off left-hander ​​Génesis Cabrera in the eighth.

The Cardinals put runners at second and third with two outs in the fourth but Gausman escaped by catching Michael Siani’s line drive back to the mound.

Gausman allowed two runs and nine hits in seven innings. He walked two and struck out three.

Guerrero started at third base and made a fine defensive play in the seventh, diving to snare Paul Goldschmidt’s hard grounder and tagging out Masyn Winn, who had strayed off the bag.

Guerrero moved to first in the ninth and ended the inning by making a diving play on Arenado’s grounder and throwing to pitcher Tommy Nance for the out, standing a runner at second.

Fedde was charged with three runs and six hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out three.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays RHP José Berríos (15-9, 3.52 ERA) is scheduled to start Saturday against Cardinals RHP Kyle Gibson (8-6, 4.20).

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St. Louis Cardinals' Paul Goldschmidt, right, hits a single against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning during baseball game action in Toronto, Friday Sept. 13, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Addison Barger, right, grounds out in front of St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn, left, in the third inning during baseball game action in Toronto, Friday Sept. 13, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' designated hitter George Springer, bottom, steals second base as St. Louis Cardinals' shortstop Masyn Winn, top, cannot make a tag in the fourth inning during baseball game action in Toronto, Friday Sept. 13, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk, front left, runs for first base after hitting an RBI single in front of St. Louis Cardinals catcher Pedro Pagés, right, during fourth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Cardinals' pitcher Erick Fedde (12) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning during MLB baseball action in Toronto, Friday Sept. 13, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

St. Louis Cardinals' third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) hits an RBI single against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning during MLB baseball action in Toronto, Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) reacts after striking out against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning during baseball game action in Toronto, Friday Sept. 13, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' first baseman Spencer Horwitz (48) hits a sacrifice fly against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 4th inning during MLB baseball action in Toronto, Friday Sept. 13, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Vladimir Guerrero Jr., right, hits an RBI single against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth inning during baseball game action in Toronto, Friday Sept. 13, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk, right, hits a go-ahead single against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fourth inning during baseball game action in Toronto, Friday Sept. 13, 2024. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Taiwanese company Gold Apollo said Wednesday that it authorized its brand on the pagers that exploded in Lebanon and Syria but that another company based in Budapest manufactured them.

Hundreds of handheld pagers exploded almost simultaneously Tuesday across Lebanon and in parts of Syria, killing at least nine people, government and Hezbollah officials said. Officials pointed the finger at Israel in what appeared to be a sophisticated remote attack. The Israeli military declined to comment.

Hezbollah began striking Israel almost immediately after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that sparked the Israel-Hamas war. Since then, Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged fire daily, coming close to a full-blown war on several occasions and forcing tens of thousands on both sides of the border to evacuate their homes.

Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed in the territory since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. The ministry does not differentiate between fighters and civilians in its count but says a little over half of those killed were women and children. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

Here's the latest:

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says four soldiers were killed in southern Gaza and five others were wounded, with three of them in serious condition.

The deaths on Tuesday came nearly a year into the war in Gaza, which was triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. The army did not describe the circumstances, but Israeli media reported that the soldiers were killed by a hidden bomb that exploded inside a building.

One of the four, Staff Sgt. Agam Naim, an army paramedic, was the first female soldier to have been killed in combat in Gaza, according to Israeli media.

Hamas and other armed groups remain active across the territory despite months of heavy Israeli bombardment and ground operations that have destroyed vast areas and displaced most of the population.

Israel says 346 of its soldiers have been killed since the start of ground operations last October. The military says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwanese company Gold Apollo said Wednesday that it authorized its brand on the pagers that exploded in Lebanon and Syria but that another company based in Budapest manufactured them.

Pagers used by hundreds of members of the militant group Hezbollah exploded near-simultaneously Tuesday in Lebanon and Syria, killing at least nine people, including an 8-year-old girl, and wounding more than 2,000. Hezbollah and the Lebanese government blamed Israel for what appeared to be a sophisticated remote attack.

The AR-924 pagers used by the militants were manufactured by BAC Consulting KFT, based in Hungary’s capital, according to a statement released Wednesday by Gold Apollo.

“According to the cooperation agreement, we authorize BAC to use our brand trademark for product sales in designated regions, but the design and manufacturing of the products are solely the responsibility of BAC,” the statement read.

Gold Apollo chair Hsu Ching-kuang told journalists Wednesday that his company has had a licensing agreement with BAC for the past three years, but did not provide evidence of the contract.

The AR-924 pager, advertised as being “rugged,” contains a rechargeable lithium battery, according to specifications once advertised on Gold Apollo’s website before it was apparently taken down Tuesday after the sabotage attack. It could receive text messages of up to 100 characters and claimed to have up to 85 days of battery life. That’s something that would be crucial in Lebanon, where electricity outages have been common as the tiny nation on the Mediterranean Sea has faced years of economic collapse. Pagers also run on a different wireless network than mobile phones, making them more resilient in emergencies — one of the reasons why many hospitals worldwide still rely on them.

FILE - Israeli soldiers move next to destroyed buildings following Israeli strikes during a ground operation in the Gaza Strip, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)

Civil Defense first-responders carry a man who was wounded after his handheld pager exploded, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.(AP Photo)

People gather outside the American University hospital after the arrival of several people who were wounded by exploding handheld pagers, in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Palestinians in Lebanon wave their national flags during a protest in front of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

People gather around an ambulance carrying wounded people whose handheld pager exploded, at the emergency entrance of the American University hospital in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

The supermoon rises behind the houses in Mas'ade, a village in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

A Lebanese Red Cross volunteer collects blood donations for those who were injured by their exploded handheld pagers, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024, at a Red Cross center in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)