Clement's Game-Winning Homer
Ernie Clement's Three-Run Blast Secures Blue Jays 6-4 Victory Against Orioles
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Ernie Clement hit a three-run home run to power the Toronto Blue Jays to a 6-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Rogers Centre on Saturday, according to Toronto Sun. The Blue Jays collected 12 hits to Baltimore's 6, and five Toronto players recorded multi-hit games. The victory keeps the Jays at 31-34 — the same record as the Orioles — in a tight AL East wild card race.
Baltimore out-homered Toronto 3-1 on the day, but three long balls were not enough. The Orioles stranded runners and failed to string hits together, ending an 11-game streak of recording seven or more hits, per Fox Sports.
Clement's Third-Inning Blast Breaks the Game Open
The Blue Jays trailed 1-0 after Colton Cowser hit a solo homer in the second inning. Toronto tied it on a Kazuma Okamoto RBI single, then Clement took over. With Jesús Sánchez and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on base in the third, Clement launched a three-run shot off Kyle Bradish — his 6th homer of the season — to put Toronto up 4-1, per CBS Sports.
Bradish entered the game with a 1.72 ERA over his previous five starts. He surrendered five runs on nine hits in just four innings and took his 7th loss of the season, according to The Baltimore Banner. An Andrés Giménez RBI single and a Brandon Valenzuela sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 6-1 before Baltimore responded.
Jeff Hoffman Lets Baltimore Back In, Bullpen Holds
Reliever Jeff Hoffman entered in the sixth inning and quickly drew boos from the Rogers Centre crowd. Pete Alonso crushed a two-run homer — his 13th of the year — to cut the deficit to 6-3. Toronto Sun noted that Hoffman's "return to the fans' favour didn't last long." His ERA climbed to 6.26 on the season.
A Blaze Alexander solo shot in the seventh made it 6-4 and kept the tension high. But closer Louis Varland retired the side in order in the ninth for his 10th save, locking up the win, per Sportsnet.
Clement Putting Together an All-Star-Caliber Season
Clement finished 2-for-4 with a triple and the three-run homer. He also made a key defensive play in the eighth, diving to snare a Pete Alonso grounder and throwing from his knees to record the out, per Fox Sports. Manager John Schneider called Clement the "engine of the offense right now," according to Sportsnet.
Clement is hitting .308 with 6 home runs, a major-league-leading 19 doubles, and 76 hits on the year, per CBS Sports. Analysts at MLB Network have noted he is playing "well enough for an all-star season." With Phase 1 of All-Star fan voting underway, Just Baseball views him as a front-runner for the AL's starting second base spot.
Rookie Depth Could Delay Blue Jays' Trade Deadline Plans
Catcher Brandon Valenzuela went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. He now has five hits over his last three games. Okamoto also recorded multiple hits. The pair's strong play gives Toronto a strong argument for keeping the roster as-is, according to TSN.
TSN noted the emergence of these rookies may lead the front office to hold off on acquiring a veteran catcher at the trade deadline despite earlier rumors. With both Toronto and Baltimore sitting at 31-34, the series finale on Sunday could decide who holds third place in the AL East, per MASN.
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