Kiermaier, Chapman both drive in 5, Jays beat Angels 12-11 in 10 innings

By Joe Reedy, The Associated Press on April 9, 2023.

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – Tim Mayza retired Shohei Ohtani with the bases loaded for the final out, and the Toronto Blue Jays got five RBIs apiece from Matt Chapman and Kevin Kiermaier to beat the Los Angeles Angels 12-11 in 10 innings on Sunday.

Chapman hit a grand slam in the sixth and Kiermaier doubled home the tiebreaking run in the 10th for the Blue Jays, who overcame an early six-run deficit before blowing a late four-run lead in a wild slugfest.

Ohtani hit one of Los Angeles’ four homers, but he grounded out to end it as Toronto took two of three in the series and finished 6-4 on its season-opening road trip.

Hunter Renfroe, Brandon Drury and Logan O’Hoppe also went deep for the Angels, who lost for the fifth time since 2020 despite hitting at least four home runs. Ohtani connected for the third time this season.

The Blue Jays trailed 6-0 after four innings before scoring 10 straight runs in the sixth and seventh. Toronto led 10-7 and had the Angels down to their final out before they rallied to tie it.

With Cavan Biggio aboard as the automatic runner in the 10th, Kiermaier hit a ground-rule double down the right-field line off Carlos Estevez (0-1) for the go-ahead run. Kiermaier, who also had a two-run triple in the sixth and a two-run single in the seventh, then scored on George Springer’s base hit to make it 12-10.

Chapman, who leads the majors with a .475 batting average and is second with nine extra-base hits, hit his first career slam in the sixth.

The Angels loaded the bases with two outs in the 10th. After catcher Alejandro Kirk was unable to grab a foul pop that dropped in play, Mike Trout drew a walk from Trevor Richards to make it 12-11. Mayza relieved and got ahead 0-2 on Ohtani before retiring him on a grounder to second for his first save this season.

Jordan Romano (1-0) got the win.

The Blue Jays trailed 6-0 after starter Yusei Kikuchi gave up three home runs. But they got six runs in the sixth, with Chapman’s grand slam starting the comeback and Kiermaier tying it with a two-run triple.

Angels starter Reid Detmers allowed only two hits through five innings before the Blue Jays got to him the third time through the order.

Toronto added four in the seventh to take the lead, including an RBI single by Chapman.

Drury’s solo homer brought the Angels within three before they tied it in the ninth.

The Halos had runners on first and second with one out before Romano struck out Trout. Ohtani was walked to load the bases before Anthony Rendon was hit in the back on a 98 m.p.h. fastball by Romano. Renfroe evened it with a two-run double down the left-field line.

The Angels took a 3-0 lead in the first when Ohtani scored from first after Toronto left fielder Daulton Varsho lost track of Rendon’s high fly in the sun and it dropped a couple of feet to his left for a single. Renfroe connected two pitches later on a change-up and drove it over the wall in left.

Ohtani, who went to the same high school as Kikuchi, had a two-run homer to centre and O’Hoppe added a solo shot in the fourth.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: RHP Alek Manoah (1-0, 4.35 ERA) will make his third start of the season in Tuesday’s home opener against the Detroit Tigers.

Angels: LHP José Suarez (0-1, 12.46 ERA) will face the Washington Nationals for the first time on Monday.