By Canadian Press

Mookie Betts leads Dodgers past Blue Jays 4-2; Toronto drops fifth consecutive game

Apr 27, 2024 | 4:14 PM

TORONTO — Mookie Betts went 3 for 5, including a triple and an RBI single, as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 on Saturday.

Chris Taylor and Shohei Ohtani each had an RBI single in the second inning as Los Angeles (18-11) stretched its win streak to six. 

Canadian-American first baseman Freddie Freeman’s sacrifice fly scored Betts in the first.

Tyler Glasnow (5-1) had nine strikeouts, allowing a run on two hits and three walks over six innings. Joe Kelly, Ryan Brasier and Evan Phillips came out of the Dodgers’ bullpen to preserve the win.

Davis Schneider had an RBI double in the seventh and scored in the ninth as Toronto (13-15) lost its fifth straight game. Cavan Biggio drove Schneider in with a two-out base hit.

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Yusei Kikuchi (2-2) gave up four runs on nine hits, striking out three over six innings. 

Blue Jays relievers Genesis Cabrera, Yimi Garcia, Jordan Romano of Markham, Ont., and Nate Pearson combined for three innings of scoreless relief.

Ohtani was loudly booed by most of the 39,405 fans in attendance whenever his name was announced over the Rogers Centre’s public address system.

The Japanese superstar earned the enmity of Toronto fans after he chose the Dodgers over the Blue Jays during free agency this past winter.

He signed a 10-year, US$700 million deal with Los Angeles on Dec. 11. It’s the largest contract in professional sports history.

Betts led the game off with a triple after Toronto centre-fielder Daulton Varsho missed the ball on a diving catch. Two batters later, Freeman hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field that gave Betts plenty of time to run home for an early Los Angeles lead.

Taylor added another run in the second with a single to left field, driving in Enrique Hernandez from third. Two batters later, Ohtani singled to right to cash in Andy Pages and give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.

Betts drove in another run for the visitors in the fourth, with a single to shallow centre field scoring Miguel Rojas.

Toronto finally answered back in the seventh inning when Schneider’s double bounced into left-centre field. Danny Jansen slid into home ahead of the tag as the Blue Jays cut L.A.’s lead to 4-1 and ended Glasnow’s outing. It was Schneider’s 11th RBI of the young season.

That could have been the start of a comeback for Toronto, but Biggio struck out, pinch-hitter Daniel Vogelbach hit a fly ball, and Addison Barger went down swinging.

Biggio cut into the Dodgers’ lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. 

Schneider had reached base after Phillips’s throwing error got him to second and then Biggio singled up the first-base line to score his teammate.

ON DECK — Kevin Gausman (0-3) takes the mound for the Blue Jays in their series finale with Los Angeles.

James Paxton (2-0) of Richmond, B.C., will get the start for the Dodgers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2024.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press