Jays blow 7-3 lead in ninth, lose 8-7 in 10 innings to Dodgers
By Joe Reedy, The Associated Press on July 26, 2023.
LOS ANGELES (AP) – James Outman’s double in the 10th inning scored Chris Taylor with the winning run and the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for an 8-7 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night. The Dodgers trailed 7-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth, but sent the game into extra innings with four runs in the ninth. Taylor tied it on a two-run single with the bases loaded when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. dove but had the liner deflect of his glove, allowing both runs to score. Mookie Betts had an RBI single and Miguel Rojas scored on a bases-loaded walk to Max Muncy to get the Dodgers within striking range. Taylor was on second base as the automatic runner in the 10th inning. After Yonny Hernandez was unable to advance the runner, Outman hit a long drive off Mitch White (0-1) that popped out of the glove of right-fielder Jordan Luplow, who jumped at the wall to try to make the catch. Los Angeles’ Freddie Freeman homered for the fourth time in the last five games. J.D. Martinez also went deep. Bo Bichette had four hits, including a two-run homer in the third inning, and Danny Jansen had a three-run double in the ninth for the Blue Jays. Bichette snapped an 0-for-18 skid with a base hit in the first inning before he drove an off-speed pitch from Dodgers starter Julio UrÃas into the left-centre field stands in the third to give the Blue Jays the lead. It was Bichette’s 17th homer of the year, which ties him with Guerrero for the team lead. Bichette also has an AL-leading 13 games with at least three hits. The Blue Jays led 4-3 after eight innings but got some breathing room in the ninth. Jansen, who came into the game in the eighth inning as a pinch runner, then lined a double beyond the reach of Taylor in left that went off the wall and cleared the bases. Freeman evened it in the bottom of the first with a solo shot to right-centre for his 21st of the season. The All-Star first baseman has gone 10 for 21 in his last five games. Freeman also scored on Muncy’s sacrifice fly in the third inning. Martinez went deep in his second straight game with a solo shot in the eighth inning that brought the Dodgers within 4-3. It was his 18th career homer against the Blue Jays. TRAINER’S ROOM Blue Jays: LHP Hyun Jin Ryu (Tommy John Surgery recovery) will throw a bullpen session on Wednesday. Manager John Schneider left open the possibility that Ryu, who had surgery last June, could throw a simulated game before being activated. Dodgers: LHP Clayton Kershaw (left shoulder soreness) threw a bullpen session where he used his full mix of pitches. Manager Dave Roberts said the next step could be for Kershaw to face hitters depending on how he feels on Wednesday. UP NEXT Toronto LHP Yusei Kikuchi (7-3 3.92 ERA) is opposed by Los Angeles RHP Tony Gonsolin (5-3, 3.94 ERA) in the series finale on Wednesday. — AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports 20-19
