Blue Jays get out early against Chicago Cubs in series opener
Brendon Little left the bases loaded following an inning-ending strikeout in the top of the seventh, while Louis Varland began the eighth with a called third strike before retiring the side on a swinging whiff.
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There were some key moments when the Jays flashed their glove in producing big outs.
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On Loonie Dogs Night at Rogers Centre, nights such as Tuesday must be relished, excuse the bad pun.
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With the Chicago Cubs in town, one of MLB's legacy franchises, the Jays jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead and never looked back en route to their 5-1 win.
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Fans erupted when the game ended in a strikeout.
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Hitting two home runs on the night, while limiting the homer-heavy Cubs to four hits certainly helped as the Jays played their first home game following a 4-2 road trip.
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It was also the first of a six-game homestand for the Blue Jays, who have feasted at home.
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The following are three takeaways on a night the Jays attracted a season-high crowd of 43,003, a night when the division-leading Jays won their 70th game of the season, a massive jump when one considers the club won a total of 74 games for the entire 2024 season when Toronto finished dead last in the AL East.
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Conquering Clement
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It's been quite the ride for Ernie Clement, who followed up a five-hit game by going 0-for-5 in the opening two games of the Jays' beatdown of the woeful Rockies.
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In L.A., he hit one of the most consequential homers of the season to salvage a win in the series finale against the Dodgers, who were poised to hand the Jays a sweep.
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No stage is too big for Clement, no infield position is too difficult for Clement to handle.
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The guy is a gamer who has shown to be very durable.
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It was Clement's third home run in as many games and his fourth in the past five games.
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He hit eighth in the order Tuesday when he stroked his ninth dinger of the season.
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