Clement’s Homer Lifts Blue Jays Over Dodgers; Fluharty Escapes

Chavez Ravine saw a wild one as the Toronto Blue Jays clawed out a gritty 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. They dodged a series sweep, and honestly, it felt like they needed this one badly.

After dropping the first two games — including a rough 9-1 blowout — Toronto fell behind early again. But the Jays refused to fold, coming up with clutch home runs and a gutsy ninth-inning from a rookie lefty.

Bo Bichette set the tone in the first by scoring on a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. double. The Dodgers, though, came right back swinging.

Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman both homered off Tyler Glasnow in the bottom half. Freeman then worked a bases-loaded walk in the second, and suddenly Toronto trailed 3-1.

The Jays could’ve let it get away, but this time they chipped back. In the sixth, Ty France poked a bloop single into the outfield, trimming the Dodgers’ lead to one and waking up the Toronto bench.

By the eighth, the energy had shifted. Guerrero Jr. stepped in against Blake Treinen and hammered a game-tying homer to left.

Addison Barger barely let fans catch their breath before launching his own blast. Back-to-back shots, and just like that, Toronto led 4-3. You could feel the stadium tilt.

But the Dodgers weren’t done. The bottom of the eighth got dicey fast when Jeff Hoffman walked Will Smith and Freeman with the bases loaded, tying it up again.

Toronto’s bats had one more answer. Ernie Clement, in the ninth, jumped on the first pitch from Alex Vesia and sent it over the wall for a go-ahead solo homer.

It was pure aggression, the kind of swing you dream about in big moments.

The Dodgers made the bottom of the ninth a nightmare. Hoffman put two on with one out, and suddenly Ohtani and Mookie Betts were looming.

Manager John Schneider called on rookie Mason Fluharty for the toughest assignment of his life. Fluharty didn’t blink—he struck out Ohtani in a tense nine-pitch battle, then got Betts to ground out. First career save, and what a way to get it.

Toronto finished the road trip 4-2, now 39-27 against winning teams. That’s not just a nice number, it’s proof they can hang with anyone when they’re clicking.

Key Takeaways from the Victory

Several elements stood out in this memorable game:

• Resilience under pressure: The team clawed back from a 3-1 early deficit in a tough ballpark. That kind of mental grit isn’t easy to come by.
• Clutch hitting: Guerrero Jr. and Barger smashed back-to-back home runs. That late-game surge really lit a fire.
• Unlikely heroics: Ernie Clement’s solo shot ended up as the game-winner. Sometimes, it’s the unexpected guys who make the difference.
• Rookie composure: Mason Fluharty took on Ohtani and Betts without blinking. His fearless pitching basically locked things down.
• Team depth: Almost everyone chipped in somehow. That collective effort really showed up when it mattered.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Clement’s homer, Fluharty’s escape lift Blue Jays over Dodgers in wild finale