Ernie Clement hit the first pitch of the ninth inning over the fence in left and the visiting Toronto Blue Jays avoided a three-game sweep by the Los Angeles Dodgers with a 5-4 victory on Sunday afternoon.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger hit back-to-back solo home runs in the eighth inning to erase a one-run deficit for the Blue Jays.
Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman homered for the Dodgers, who were trying to sweep a team with a winning record for the first time this season.
Los Angeles reliever Blake Treinen took over in the eighth with the Dodgers leading 3-2, but Guerrero homered to left-center field on an 0-and-2 pitch and Barger went deep to right-center field on another sweeper.
The Dodgers then loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth and Freeman drew his second bases-loaded walk of the game to force in a run and tie it 4-4.
Los Angeles reliever Alex Vesia (2-2) took the mound for the ninth and immediately gave up the solo shot to left by Clement.
Toronto left-hander Eric Lauer came in 7-2 in 12 career starts against the Dodgers with a 2.63 ERA, but he went just three innings, allowing three runs and six hits while striking out four and walking four.
Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow allowed two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked four.
Bo Bichette walked with one out in the first inning and Guerrero followed with a double just over the outstretched glove of left fielder Alex Call, scoring Bichette from first base for a 1-0 lead.
The Dodgers quickly got the run back when Ohtani homered to lead off the bottom of the first, his first 41st of the season, tying the score 1-1.
Mookie Betts followed with a walk, but he was caught stealing one pitch before Freeman hit an opposite-field home run for a 2-1 lead.
Both teams had the bases loaded with one out in the second. Toronto didn’t take advantage, then Lauer got Will Smith on a shallow flyout, but he walked Freeman to force in a run and extend the Dodgers’ lead to 3-1.
Toronto cut the lead to 3-2 in the sixth after Bichette led off with a single, took second on a comebacker and scored on a two-out looping single to right by Ty France, ending the day for Glasnow.
–Field Level Media
