Jays beat Angels as Clement bunt causes chaos
TORONTO – A throwing error that travelled down the first-base line from Los Angeles Angels reliever Sam Bachman on an Ernie Clement bunt gave the Toronto Blue Jays a 4-3 walk-off win on Friday.
With runners on first and second and none out, Clement bunted to the third-base side of the mound in the 10th inning scoring Myles Straw.
Bachman threw high and the Blue Jays had their season-high sixth win in a row before 30,119 at Rogers Centre.
Bachman (1-2) took the loss, while Chad Green (3-0) pitched the top of the 10th and registered the win.
The Blue Jays sent seven players to the plate in a three-run sixth. Will Wagner scored on Andres Gimenez’s single to left and the latter scored on Bo Bichette’s single to left.
George Springer scored on Zach Neto’s error.
Toronto starter Eric Lauer lost his magic in the seventh when Mike Trout and Taylor Ward singled to end his evening.
Reliever Nick Sandlin was greeted with a 431-foot homer from Jo Adell to left centre for his 19th.
In Lauer’s six-plus innings, he was on the hook for two runs on three hits and a walk with six strikeouts.
Lauer and his Los Angeles counterpart Kyle Hendricks were engaged in a pitchers’ duel through five innings.
Springer, who remained hot with a 2-for-4 game, broke through for Toronto’s first hit, a one-out line-drive single to left field in the fourth inning.
Adell led off the fifth inning for the Angels with a double into the left-field corner.
Hendricks departed after 5 1/3 innings, giving up three runs on four hits, no walks and two strikeouts.
TAKEAWAYS
Angels: The Angels have pushed themselves into contention for a wild-card position. They began the day only 1 1/2 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the third and final American League spot.
Blue Jays: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had the night off to rest and recover after fouling a pitch off his right foot in the sixth inning on Thursday.
KEY MOMENT
An error from Angels shortstop Neto on an Addison Barger bouncer up the middle went from a possible double play to another run and a 3-0 Toronto lead.
KEY STAT
Springer has batted 22-for-43 (. 512) with four homers, 19 RBIs, 15 runs scored, six walks and three stolen bases in his last 12 games.
UP NEXT
Toronto’s Max Scherzer (0-0) faces Jack Kochanowicz (3-8) in Saturday’s middle game of the three-game series against the Angels.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2025.
globalnews
