TORONTO — After a long 11 innings behind the plate, Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk had enough stamina to notch his first career walk-off hit on Friday.
Kirk's long single with the bases loaded provided the Blue Jays (70-78) with a series-opening win against the St. Louis Cardinals (74-73) before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.
With the Cardinals outfield in and facing reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5), Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to cap off a two-hit, two-RBI outing.
“You're back there as a catcher for 11 innings, and you're grinding," Toronto manager John Schneider said.