Ernie Clement hits eye-level fastball as Blue Jays win

TORONTO — Ernie Clement hit his third home run in his last three games and the Toronto Blue Jays used a five-run second inning to build an early lead and beat the Los Angeles Angels 5-3 on Thursday night.

Clement’s homer came on an out-of-the-strike zone fastball 4.6 feet off the ground by right-hander Mike Baumann. It was the second-highest pitch hit for a home run in the Statcast era (since 2015).

“I probably shouldn’t hit those pitches,” Clement said. “I’ve struck out a couple times this year on that pitch. I just try to hit the ball with two strikes.”

Angels manager Ron Washington had a different view.

“Sometimes you do the impossible,” he said.

The Blue Jays, who swept the Angels in a three-game road series last week, have won four straight games and eight of 10.

Niko Kavadas hit a three-run home run for his first major league hit, hitting the ball off Toronto right-handed pitcher Tommy Nance with two outs in the ninth inning.

“It’s definitely a huge relief,” Kavadas said.

The Angels lost for the eighth time in 10 games, hours after announcing a two-year contract extension for general manager Perry Minasian.

“We went 17 innings without scoring a run and finally broke through,” Washington said. “Hopefully that gives us a boost for tomorrow.”

Los Angeles lost 3-0 at Kansas City on Wednesday.

Reliever Ryan Burr started for the Blue Jays, who sent all of their regular starters back for the day to give them extra rest. Toronto and Boston are scheduled to resume a suspended game in the top of the second inning Monday before playing a second game later that day.

The right-handed Burr allowed two hits and was out after Jo Adell singled to lead off the second inning. Adell finished 3-for-4.

Left-hander Ryan Yarbrough (5-2) followed with five shutout innings. Yarbrough surrendered three hits, all singles. He walked none and struck out four.

“It was like Bob Ross,” manager John Schneider said of Yarbrough’s 60-pitch outing. “He was painting.”

Left-hander Brendon Little pitched the seventh inning and Nance pitched the final two innings.

Brock Burke (1-1) started for the Angels, his first major league start since September 2019 with Texas. The right-handed pitcher allowed three runs and three hits.

Burke retired every batter he faced in the first inning and left after giving up three straight hits in the second inning, including an RBI double by Alejandro Kirk and an RBI single by Will Wagner.

Clement greeted Baumann with a 380-foot home run to left, his 10th of the season. He is the second Blue Jays player to hit three consecutive home runs this season, following Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Joey Loperfido followed with a triple and later scored on an RBI groundout by George Springer.

“They put that five on the board and that was it,” Washington said.

Angels right-handed pitcher Griffin Canning, making his first appearance as a reliever in 2024 after making a career-high 25 starts this season, came on in the third inning and retired 18 of the 20 batters he faced in six scoreless innings.

“He looked sharp from the first inning he came in,” Washington said.

This report uses information from ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press.