Shohei Ohtani led off the game with his 41st homer, but Ernie Clement hit the tiebreaking homer leading off the ninth inning, and the American League-leading Toronto Blue Jays hung on to avoid a series sweep with a 5-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.
Mason Fluharty spectacularly earned his first career save after replacing erratic Jays closer Jeff Hoffman in the ninth with the bases loaded and one out. The rookie left-hander struck out Ohtani with a full-count breaking ball before getting Mookie Betts on a game-ending grounder.
After Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a tying homer and Addison Barger followed with a go-ahead shot for Toronto off struggling Blake Treinen in the eighth inning, Clement hit the first pitch from Alex Vesia (2-2) in the ninth into the left-field bleachers.
Hoffman (7-4) walked Freddie Freeman with the bases loaded to blow Toronto’s lead in the eighth, and he walked three of the Dodgers’ first four batters in the ninth.
Ohtani drove Eric Lauer’s fourth pitch 400 feet. The three-time MVP’s third homer in four games tied him with Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber for the National League lead.
Freeman also homered in the first.
Ohtani had two hits and was intentionally walked twice.
The Dodgers’ bullpen wasted another strong start by Tyler Glasnow, who yielded two runs on four hits and four walks while pitching into the sixth and striking out eight. Glasnow’s winless streak stretched to 10 starts since March 31 despite his 1.82 ERA since coming off the injured list.
Toronto’s relievers were cruising until Hoffman entered the game in the bottom of the eighth. Louis Varland, Braydon Fisher, Seranthony Dominguez and Brendon Little all pitched scoreless frames to keep it close. Yariel Rodriguez was charged with an earned run in the eighth after walking two Dodgers batters.
The nail-biting win gives the Blue Jays some breathing room in the AL East, as Boston lost 6-2 to the San Diego Padres. The New York Yankees were defeated 7-1 at the hands of the Houston Astros.
Elsewhere in the AL, the Seattle Mariners beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3, while the Detroit Tigers defeated the Los Angeles Angels 9-5.
José Berríos (8-4, 3.89 ERA) takes the mound in Toronto against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.
