Latest news with #Pawol
USA Today
9 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Jen Pawol made her MLB umpire debut amid unprecedented scrutiny -- and held up just fine
Yes, Jen Pawol made history by becoming the first woman to umpire a Major League Baseball game and, on Sunday, Aug. 10, she was the first to call balls and strikes behind home plate. In any era, that would be significant. Yet in this modern landscape of Statcast strike zones and umpire ratings, and the scrutiny of thousands of social media naysayers, every pitch Pawol called would be parsed and graded in a manner that simply didn't exist a decade or two ago. And just how did Pawol do in arbitrating the Atlanta Braves-Miami Marlins clash Sunday in Atlanta? Pretty darn well. Pawol called 93% of balls and strikes correctly, according to Umpire Scorecards, which places her in the bottom third of umpire performance this season, but very much in line with her peers. Umpire: Jen PawolFinal: Marlins 1, Braves 7#MarlinsBeisbol // #BravesCountry#MIAvsATL // #ATLvsMIAMore stats for this ump 👇 Pawol, 48, brought more than 1,200 games of minor league experience to her fill-in assignment, necessitated because the Marlins and Braves played a weekend doubleheader, disrupting the usual umpire rotation. She called 140 of 151 balls and strikes correctly, according to Umpire Scorecards, which simulates every pitch 500 times and, using a dizzying array of factors, aims to create what it calls "interpretability, validity, practicality, and fairness." Pawol's 92.72% hit rate puts her nose-to-nose with a bevy of full-time MLB umpires, including veterans Laz Diaz (92.64%) and CB Bucknor (92.85), who tend to draw the ire of fans, along with the more anonymous Bruce Dreckman (92.76) and Carlos Torres (93.13%). The median percentage for all umpires this season is 94%, or, Pawol's percentage had two more calls been determined correct. Edwin Jimenez, also a Class AAA fill-in umpire in his third year calling balls and strikes in the majors, leads all umpires with 96.48% accuracy in 19 plate assignments. In fact, the 16 Triple-A fill-ins have acquitted themselves quite well, producing a 94.46 median in 10 games. Pawol? She's umped one game, a sample size statistically insignificant as far as assessing her performance. Yet in the most important metric – did the home plate umpire impact the game? – Pawol did just fine, "favoring" the Marlins by 0.28 runs, per Umpire Scorecards. The Braves won the game 7-1. You might say, then, that Pawol earned the greatest compliment an ump could receive: Other than her trailblazing distinction, you'd have hardly noticed her. "We certainly didn't call her up from A-ball, right?" said Marlins starter Cal Quantrill, per "I'm sure she was well-prepared, and I think part of the game moving forward is if this is normal, then we're gonna treat it normal, too. I thought it was fine, and I think she did a quality job. "She should be very proud of herself, and it's kind of a cool little thing to be a part of it. But yeah, just another day." One that figures to be repeated.
New York Post
10 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Jen Pawol's ump scorecard for MLB home plate debut revealed
Umpire Jen Pawol's first MLB game behind the plate went about as expected for a rookie. The major leagues' first female umpire, who made her debut on the bases during Saturday's Braves-Marlins doubleheader, called 92.72 percent of balls and strikes accurately during Sunday's series finale, getting 140 of the 151 taken pitches accurate, according to UmpScorecards. The umpire average for the 2025 season is 94.23 percent, per UmpScorecard data. Pawol's called ball accuracy was 95 percent, with five of 104 balls called inaccurately; the average is 97 percent, per UmpScorecards. Her called strike accuracy was 88 percent, with six of 47 strikes called inaccurately; the average is 88 percent. 'I think Jen did a really nice job,' Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said after his team's 7-1 loss on Sunday. 'I think she's very composed back there. She handled and managed the game very well. And big day for her. Big day for Major League Baseball. I congratulated her again on that because it's quite the accomplishment.' Pawol, 48, is a West Milford, N.J., native who played softball at Hofstra. She has more than 1,200 minor league games on her résumé across the last 10 seasons. 3 Umpire Jen Pawol smiles before calling the Braves-Marlins game behind the plate on Aug. 10, 2025. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect 3 Jen Pawol calls a strike during the fourth inning of the Braves-Marlins game on Aug. 10, 2025. Getty Images She received support from Braves fans in Atlanta when she made history on Saturday. 'It was amazing when we took the field,' Pawol said. 'It seemed like quite a few people were clapping and calling my name. That was pretty intense and emotional.' Pawol worked first base during the first game of Saturday's doubleheader and third base for the second game. 3 Jen Pawol signals a strikeout during the third inning between the Braves and Marlins on Aug. 10, 2025. AP 'She did a good job,' Braves manager Brian Snitker said Saturday. 'You can tell she knows what she does.' Pawol is a rover called up from the minors, so her next MLB assignment is unclear.
UPI
12 hours ago
- Sport
- UPI
Watch: Jen Pawol, MLB's first female umpire, calls first strikeout
1 of 5 | Umpire Jen Pawol calls a strikeout during a game between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins on Sunday at Truist Park in Atlanta. Photo by Julian Alexander/UPI | License Photo Aug. 11 (UPI) -- Jen Pawol did the punch-out signal in the top of the first inning in Atlanta, highlighting MLB's first behind-the-plate umpire performance by a female. Pawol stood behind home for the first time Sunday during a series finale between the Miami Marlins and Atlanta Braves. She had a correct call rate of 90.3%, with 14 missed calls, according to the Umpire Auditor X account. Pawol is one of 17 Triple-A umpires eligible to serve as a substitute at MLB games. It is unclear if she will be promoted on a permanent basis. "I wish her the best moving forward as she continues to, I'm sure, hopefully one day be up full time, you know, a permanent big league umpire," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough told reporters, when asked about Pawol. Pawol became the first woman to umpire a game in MLB history when she worked first base during the first game of a Marlins-Braves doubleheader Saturday in Atlanta. She was at third base for the second game of the doubleheader. Her debut behind the plate got off to a tough start, with Pawol motioning for a strike on the first pitch of the game -- an inside fastball from Braves starter Joey Wentz, which sailed well outside the strike zone. Pawol, who worked alongside umpires Chad Whitson (1B), Chris Guccione (2B) and Edwin Moscoso (3B), ranked 13 out of 15 umpires on the day for correct calls, according to data collected by Umpire Auditor. Marlins All-Star designated hitter Kyle Stowers was her first punch-out victim. That sequence came in the top of the fifth. Stowers trailed 1-2 in the count against Wentz. The Braves starter tossed in a 94-mph outside fastball for the final offering of the exchange. The pitch appeared to again sail outside of the strike zone, but Pawol stood up and called it a strike, ending the half inning. Wentz allowed four hits and one run over 5 1/3 innings in the 7-1 win. He improved to 3-3 this season. Marlins starter Cal Quantrill allowed three hits and one run over four innings, but was not on record for a decision. Braves first baseman Matt Olson, designated hitter Marcell Ozuna and center fielder Michael Harris II each recorded homers in the victory. Ozuna hit a 422-foot, three-run blast off Marlins relief pitcher Tyler Zuber in the bottom of the seventh inning. Olson, Harris and left fielder Jurickson Profar recorded two hits apiece in the victory. The Braves won four of five games against the Marlins, who entered the series with wins in six of their previous eight games and just one game under .500. Pawol, 48, spent the last decade working as a professional umpire. She started in 2016 in the Gulf Coast League. "I'm just so grateful to my family, to Major League Baseball for just creating such an amazing work environment," Pawol told reporters Saturday, when asked about her MLB debut. "To all the umpires that I work with. it's just amazing camaraderie. We're having fun out there. We're working hard but we're having fun. "I'm just so thankful." Pawol donated her hat from Saturday to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The Marlins (57-61) now sit in third place in the National League East, 11.5 games behind the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies (68-49). They will take on the Cleveland Guardians at 6:40 p.m. EDT Tuesday in Cleveland. The Braves (51-67) sit in fourth place in the National League East, 17.5 games behind the Phillies. They will battle the second-place New York Mets (63-55) at 7:10 p.m. Tuesday in Flushing, N.Y.
Straits Times
18 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Baseball umpire Jen Pawol earns praise after her day behind the plate
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox MLB home plate umpire Jen Pawol (in black) speaking with Atlanta Braves pitching coach Rick Kranitz (second from left) during a pitching mound visit on Aug 10. ATLANTA – Umpire Jen Pawol had already written her name into the history books on Aug 9 when she became the first female umpire to officiate a regular-season major league game. The 48-year old rover umpire was stationed at third and first bases for the double header between the Miami Marlins and the host Atlanta Braves. But the real test would occur on the following day, when Pawol crouched behind catchers Sean Murphy (Braves) and Liam Hicks (Marlins) to call balls and strikes in the series finale. Atlanta scored the game's final seven runs and triumphed 7-1, but even losing manager Clayton McCullough felt Pawol was more than up to the task. 'I think Jen did a really nice job,' McCullough said. 'I think she's very composed back there. She handled and managed the game very well. And big day for her. Big day for Major League Baseball. I congratulated her again on that because it's quite the accomplishment.' Pawol called 47 strikes, compared to 34 swinging strikes, including a 15-5 breakdown for Braves' starter and winner Joey Wentz. When asked about Pawol's calls, Wentz said, 'I try not to focus on the zone, to be honest with you. ... I thought it was good though.' As a roving umpire, Pawol's next Major League Baseball (MLB) assignment is unknown. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Keppel to sell M1's telco business to Simba for $1.43b, says deal expected to benefit consumers Business Singtel, StarHub shares fall after announcement of Keppel's M1 sale Singapore ST Explains: Who owns Simba, the company that is buying M1? Singapore Simba-M1 deal is S'pore's first telco merger, after years of liberalisation Singapore Hyflux issued preference shares to fund Tuaspring as it had problems getting bank loans: Prosecution Singapore S'pore Govt asks inactive political parties including Barisan Sosialis for proof of existence Singapore Man's claim amid divorce that his mother is true owner of 3 properties cuts no ice with judge Opinion Anwar's government: Full house but plenty of empty offices She is a 10-year minor league umpiring veteran, beginning in the Gulf Coast League in 2016. She earned the assignment in the Triple-A championship game in 2023 and worked major league spring training games in 2024 and 2025. 'I wish her the best moving forward as she continues to, I'm sure, hopefully one day be up full time, you know, a permanent big league umpire,' McCullough said. On her road to the top, Pawol said: 'It has been a long, hard journey to the top here. I'm just extremely focused on getting my calls right and I'm so grateful to all those along the way who have helped me become a better umpire every day.' MLB's addition of a female umpire comes 28 years after Violet Palmer became the first woman to referee an NBA game in October 1997. Shannon Eastin was the National Football League's (NFL) first female on-field official, hired as a replacement when regular officials were locked out in a contract dispute in September 2012. Three years later, Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first full-time female on-field official and last year, two women worked on the officiating crew of the same game for the first time. Stephanie Frappart of France was the first woman to referee a men's World Cup football match when she worked a group-stage game in 2022. REUTERS, AFP
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Phillies sweep Rangers with 4-2 win
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Zack Wheeler struck out seven and allowed three hits, Edmundo Sosa homered, and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Texas Rangers 4-2 on Sunday to sweep the three-game series. Wheeler (10-5) had six or more strikeouts for the 19th straight start this season, with his last outing with less than six coming on April 13 when he had three against St. Louis. Trailing 2-0 early, the Phillies answered in the fourth with an RBI double from Bryce Harper. They tied it in the fifth on Sosa's solo homer, and took the lead for good with Weston Wilson's RBI single two batters later. Brandon Marsh added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly that scored Harrison Bader in the ninth inning, and a strong Phillies bullpen performance was capped off by Jhoan Duran's 20th save of the season to secure the win. Duran, acquired from Minnesota on July 30, has allowed just one baserunner in four appearances for Philadelphia. Joc Pederson hit a first-inning two-run homer to give the Rangers the lead. Patrick Corbin (6-8) threw 4 1/3 innings and allowed four hits and three runs. BRAVES 7, MARLINS 1 ATLANTA (AP) — Matt Olson, Marcell Ozuna and Michael Harris II hit home runs to support a strong start from Joey Wentz and Atlanta beat Miami. Jen Pawol, who made history in Saturday's doubleheader as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game in the majors, was behind the plate. Pawol earned compliments for her work on the bases in Saturday's games. She received more support from fans on Sunday. Some held up 'Way to go Jen!' signs. Though she was more in the spotlight while calling balls and strikes, Pawol made her work look routine. Wentz (1-2) allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings for his first win since the left-hander was claimed by the Braves off waivers from Minnesota on July 11. The Braves, who swept Saturday's doubleheader, won four of five games in a series that included a rescheduled game forced by a rain postponement on April 6. Derek Hill hit a two-out double off Wentz in the second and scored on Liam Hicks' single. Ozuna hit a three-run homer and Harris added a solo shot off Tyler Zuber in the seventh. TIGERS 9, ANGELS 5 DETROIT (AP) — Kerry Carpenter homered and drove in three runs to help Detroit beat Los Angeles. Carpenter doubled and scored in the first, hit a sacrifice fly in the second and added a three-run homer in the fourth. Casey Mize (11-4) got the win, allowing two runs on three hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out five. Jack Kochanowicz (3-10) took the loss. He gave up seven runs on 10 hits in three-plus innings. The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the first, stringing together four straight two-out hits that included RBI singles by Riley Greene and Zach McKinstry. Carpenter's sacrifice fly made it 3-0 in the second, and the Tigers added four more in the fourth. Javier Baez reached on an error, took third on a base hit by Cole Keith and scored on Gleyber Torres' single. Carpenter followed with his 21st homer, giving Detroit a 7-0 lead. Nolan Schanuel hit a two-run homer in the fifth, and Logan O'Hoppe made it 7-3 with an RBI single in the sixth. Greene hit a two-run homer in the sixth while Luis Rengifo hit a two-run shot in the eighth. ATHLETICS 3, ORIOLES 2 BALTIMORE (AP) — Willie MacIver hit a two-run, ninth-inning double off Keegan Akin to rally Athletics to a series-clinching victory over Baltimore. MacIver's liner down the left-field line against Akin (3-2) scored Darell Hernaiz and Lawrence Butler, the latter of whom pinch ran for Gio Urshela and ran through third base coach Eric Martins' stop sign. The relay throw came in ahead of Butler, but was in the dirt and slightly off line. Catcher Alex Jackson couldn't scoop it in time to make the tag. Elvis Alvarado (1-0) recorded the final five outs against Baltimore. Brent Rooker singled in the other A's run in the sixth before departing in the bottom of the eighth with an apparent cramp or injury. Athletics manager Mark Kotsay said Rooker's departure was preventative. Jordan Westburg hit his 14th home run for Baltimore in the fifth inning of a bullpen game for the Athletics, and Coby Mayo put the Orioles ahead again in the seventh with a pinch-hit double. ASTROS 7, YANKEES 1 NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Alexander pitched one-hit ball through six innings, Jose Altuve hit his 250th career homer and Houston beat New York after Yankees manager Aaron Boone was ejected in the third inning. Alexander (3-1) allowed his first hit in the sixth inning, a one-out single to Ben Rice. Alexander did not allow a run for the second straight start. He walked three, struck out three in a game in which he relied mostly on changeups and sinkers over 87 pitches. Altuve, as designated hitter, homered to left in the first and became the 11th player whose primary position is second base to reach 250 homers. Altuve had two hits and scored three runs, including on a double by Christian Walker in the third and on a single by Ramón Urías that fell in between shortstop Anthony Volpe and left fielder Cody Bellinger in the ninth. Rookie Cam Smith had a two-out bases-loaded single that scored two runs in the fifth to help the Astros win for the fourth time in six games. Carlos Correa hit his second homer since being acquired from Minnesota, and Mauricio Dubón knocked in a run in the three-run ninth Fried (12-5) allowed four runs and eight hits in five innings and lost for the third time in four starts. The Yankees managed three hits and lost for the seventh time in nine games and were booed after the final out. Boone was ejected for the fifth time this season after arguing a called strike on Ryan McMahon. TWINS 5, ROYALS 3, 11 INNINGS MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Luke Keaschall hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning, Ryan Fitzgerald homered for his first career hit, and Minnesota beat Kansas City. With two outs, Keaschall hit a fastball from Royals closer Carlos Estévez (4-4) to the first row of seats in right-centerfield for Minnesota's ninth walk-off win of the season. It was the third hit of the day for Keaschall, who has reached base in 12 straight games to start his career. Michael Tonkin (1-0), Minnesota's seventh pitcher, pitched scoreless 10th and 11th innings for his first win since July 30, 2024. Adam Frazier had four hits and Maikel Garcia three for Kansas City. Vinnie Pasquantino hit his 20th home run for a 3-2 lead in the seventh. The Twins tied it in the eighth when Ryan Jeffers drove in Austin Martin, who tripled on an ill-advised diving attempt by John Rave with the ball getting past the left fielder and rolling to the wall. In his fourth career game, Fitzgerald, a 31-year-old who signed a minor league contract with Minnesota in January, hit a third-inning slider from Ryan Bergert off the top of the right field wall for a 2-1 Twins lead. WHITE SOX 6, GUARDIANS 4 CHICAGO (AP) — Lenyn Sosa and Colson Montgomery homered and Chicago snapped a six-game skid with a win over Cleveland. Sosa hit a two-run homer, his 14th, in the first and Montgomery followed later in the inning with a solo shot, his ninth. Curtis Mead and Kyle Teel also knocked in runs for the White Sox, who banged out 11 hits. Chicago starter Davis Martin (4-9) allowed five hits and three earned runs in five innings, with three walks and two strikeouts. Grant Taylor earned the save. Kyle Manzardo hit a solo home run in the fourth inning and a two-run shot in the seventh, and David Fry added a two-run double in the sixth for the Guardians. Cleveland's Slade Cecconi (5-5) allowed five runs on eight hits with four strikeouts in the loss. BREWERS 7, METS 6 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Isaac Collins hit a solo homer off Mets closer Edwin Diaz in the ninth inning and MLB-best Milwaukee extended its winning streak to nine games with a walk-off win over New York. The Brewers trailed 5-0 early and tied it a 6-all in the eighth on Joey Ortiz's two-out RBI single off the glove of diving first baseman Pete Alonso. After Nick Mears (3-3) tossed a scoreless top half of the ninth, Collins sent a 2-2 pitch from Diaz (5-2) 363 feet to right field for his eighth homer. The Mets lost their seventh straight game and fell 5 1/2 games behind NL East-leading Philadelphia. William Contreras had two homers for the Brewers, a solo shot to open a three-run fourth, and a two-run homer in the fifth, his 12th, to pull Milwaukee within 6-5. The Mets scored in each of the first four innings for a five-run lead against Quinn Priester, who had won his previous 10 decisions. New York scored two in the first on RBI singles by Juan Soto and Jeff McNeil. Brett Baty opened the second with his 12th home run and Ronny Mauricio's RBI single made it 3-0 in the third. REDS 14, PIRATES 8 PITTSBURGH (AP) —Miguel Andujar hit his first home run with Cincinnati, Spencer Steer and Noelvi Marte had three hits and four RBIs each, and the Reds outlasted Pittsburgh to earn a split in the four-game series. Andujar, who hit a three-run shot to the rotunda in left field in a four-run second inning, hit six homers for the Athletics before being traded at the deadline. He was also in the middle of the Reds' decisive three-run rally in the sixth inning that broke a 4-4 tie. Elly De La Cruz and Andujar hit back-to-back singles off Yohan Ramírez (1-1) to begin the sixth and, one out later, Marte hit a tiebreaking double. Steer followed with a two-run double to put the Reds ahead 7-4. Steer hit a two-run homer in the eighth to make it 9-5 and Marte connected on a three-run homer during a five-run ninth. The teams combined for 30 hits, including 16 by the Pirates led by Isiah Kiner-Falefa with three hits and two RBIs. Scott Barlow (6-0) retired only one of three batters he faced. Reds starter Zach Littell gave up four runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. Pirates starter Mike Burrows lasted five innings and allowed four runs on three hits while striking out six. NATIONALS 8, GIANTS 0 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — CJ Abrams homered and the Nationals spoiled a milestone achievement by San Francisco's Justin Verlander as Washington won. Josh Bell and Paul DeJong had three hits apiece to highlight a 17-hit day for Washington. James Wood had a pair of two-run doubles as the Nationals won a series at Oracle Park for the fourth straight season. Verlander (1-9), the three-time Cy Young Award winner who has struggled in his first season with the Giants, struck out the side in the first inning and became the 10th pitcher in MLB history with 3,500 strikeouts. The milestone mark was the lone bright spot for the 42-year-old Verlander, who was unbeaten in five career starts against the Nationals before Sunday. He allowed 11 hits and five runs with six strikeouts and a walk. MacKenzie Gore (5-12) had 10 strikeouts and pitched six scoreless innings for his first win since July 9. Cole Henry, PJ Poulin and Clayton Beeter each retired three batters to complete the three-hit shutout. DIAMONDBACKS 13, ROCKIES 6 PHOENIX (AP) — Adrian Del Castillo hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Arizona set a franchise record with nine consecutive hits during an eight-run fifth inning for a win over Colorado. In addition to his first home run of the season, Del Castillo hit a ground-rule double into the pool in right field and a single in the fifth when the Diamondbacks batted around to open a 12-3 lead. Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt (12-7) pitched four innings, allowing 11 hits, but only three runs. The Rockies went 5 of 16 with runners in scoring position. The Rockies scored two runs in the second inning on Adael Amador's double to make it 3-2, and scored another run on Kyle Karros' single in the third to make it 4-3. Karros, in his third MLB game, also hit an RBI double in the seventh. Brenton Doyle hit his 10th home run of the season in the same inning to make it 12-6. The Diamondbacks answered with Connor Kaiser's first career hit, an RBI double in the seventh. Tanner Gordon (2-5) pitched 4 2/3 innings for the Rockies, allowing 12 hits, 10 runs, and striking out six. MARINERS 6, RAYS 3 SEATTLE (AP) — Cal Raleigh hit his major league-leading 45th home run in a four-run first inning and Seattle hung on for a victory over Tampa Bay. It was Seattle's seventh straight win, the longest active run in the American League. Josh Naylor also homered for the Mariners, who wrapped up a 9-1 homestand. Seattle starter Bryan Woo (10-6) allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings with nine strikeouts. It was his 23rd start this season of six innings or more. Raleigh's two-run home run came off Rays starter Adrian Houser before Eugenio Suarez added a two-run single for the Mariners in the first. Raleigh, who homered in all three games of the seriers, hit No. 44, a three-run shot, in the third inning of the Mariners' 7-4 victory over the Rays on Saturday. The Rays chipped away at Seattle's lead. Ha-Seong Kim's double in the second scored Brandon Lowe to close the gap. Yandy Diaz added an RBI grounder in the third. Kim hit a solo homer in the fourth to make it 4-3. Naylor gave the Mariners some breathing room with a solo homer in the seventh. Dominic Canzone had an RBI single in the eighth for the final margin. Hauser (6-4) allowed four runs on six hits over five innings with four strikeouts and three walks. PADRES 6, RED SOX 2 SAN DIEGO (AP) — Dylan Cease was impressive for six innings before San Diego's All-Star-laden bullpen got into and out of trouble in the seventh and the Padres beat Boston to take two of three. The Padres have won 11 of 14 games as they continue to chase the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Cease (5-10) cruised into the seventh with a shutout on just three singles and a walk before walking Jarren Duran and allowing a single to Trevor Story. All-Star Jason Adam came on and hit Masataka Yoshida with his first pitch to load the bases and then two runs scored when shortstop Xander Bogaerts committed a fielder error on a potential double-play grounder by Romy Gonzalez. Wilyer Abreu singled to load the bases again before Adam struck out Ceddanne Rafaela and pinch-hitter Abraham Toro. All-Star Adrian Morejon came on and struck out rookie Roman Anthony to end the inning. Cease allowed four runs, two earned, on four hits while striking out seven and walking two. San Diego scored its first five runs with two outs, with starter Brayan Bello (8-6) on the hook for all five. BLUE JAYS 5, DODGERS 4 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani led off the game with his 41st homer, but Ernie Clement hit the tiebreaking homer leading off the ninth inning, and AL-leading Toronto hung on to avoid a series sweep with a victory over Los Angeles. Mason Fluharty earned his first career save in spectacular fashion after replacing erratic Jays closer Jeff Hoffman in the ninth with the bases loaded and one out. The rookie left-hander struck out Ohtani with a full-count breaking ball before getting Mookie Betts on a game-ending grounder. After Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a tying homer and Addison Barger followed with a go-ahead shot for Toronto off struggling Blake Treinen in the eighth inning, Clement hit the first pitch from Alex Vesia (2-2) in the ninth into the left-field bleachers. Hoffman (7-4) walked Freddie Freeman with the bases loaded to blow Toronto's lead in the eighth, and he walked three of the Dodgers' first four batters in the ninth. Ohtani drove Eric Lauer's fourth pitch 400 feet. The three-time MVP's third homer in four games tied him with Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber for the NL lead. Freeman also homered in the first. CARIDALS 3, CUBS 2 ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nolan Gorman singled home the winning run, lifting St. Louis to a victory over Chicago to wrap up its three-game series. In the seventh, Jordan Walker singled with two outs. He stole second and scored when Gorman singled to right field to knock Shota Imanaga (8-5) out of the game. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Imanaga went 6 2/3 innings with nine strikeouts and no walks. He gave up the three runs on four hits. Sonny Gray (11-5) threw seven innings to earn the win. He allowed two runs on five hits, struck out seven and walked one. JoJo Romero pitched the final 1 1/3 innings to record his third save despite giving up a walk and two singles in the ninth. Pinch-runner Jon Berti was caught stealing for the second out. After two hits, Romero got Matt Shaw to ground into a fielder's choice to escape the jam. Shaw pulled Chicago even at 2-2 with a home run into the left field bullpen in the fifth. Pedro Pagés gave the Cardinals a 2-0 lead when he homered after Thomas Saggese led off the third inning with a single.
