At least this one was over quickly. The Dodgers pummelled the Blue Jays’ pitching staff throughout, and the Jays’ offence never really threatened to make it a shootout. The losing streak now extends to four and Toronto find themselves back below .500 on the season.
It was not Chris Bassitt’s night. Shohei Ohtani opened the scoring with a solo homer in the first (Hey, that guy’s good, the Jays should try to sign him). He worked around a couple of singles in the second but imploded abruptly and totally in the third. The first five Dodgers all reached, culminating in a Max Muncy blast that put LA up 6-0. A pair of singles and a walk around a pair of outs added a seventh to the tally and forced Bassitt from the game.
Trevor Richards was able to get a ground out to end it, but this one was basically over by that point. Richards would give up a Will Smith one run homer in the fourth before giving way to Brendon Little in the fifth.
Little lasted an inning and a third, looking like a AAA depth guy facing the best lineup in baseball as he surrendered three runs on four hits, leaving with one out in the sixth. Nate Pearson came in and ended the inning, allowing one of his inherited runners to score.
Tim Mayza mercifully was able to turn in a scoreless seventh. Erik Swanson handled the eighth just to get work. He issued a walk but no runs with the help of a gold star catch by Addison Barger at third on an Andy Pages liner that could have gone for a double.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa was brought in to mop up for the ninth. LA tacked on a 12th run, but at least he got through it.
Meanwhile, the offence could do nothing with Gavin Stone. He worked around a pair of walks and a Justin Turner single scattered across the first three innings without conceding a run. Danny Jansen was at least able to avoid the shutout by launching a solo homer in the bottom of the fourth. Stone took back over from that point, though, facing the minimum from the fifth through the seventh and ultimately going 7 innings, allowing 1 run on 2 hits and 2 walks.
They did a little better against Nick Ramirez in the eighth. A Cavan Biggio walk, a George Springer ground out, and a Vlad Guerrero ground out scored one. They loaded the bases in the ninth (including a line single by IKF that was the first pitcher hit of the season, which is fun if your definition of fun is loose enough) but couldn’t score.
Jay of the Day: my glass of scotch, which really came through in the clutch tonight.
Not so much: Bassitt (-0.358) absorbs the blame, but the whole offence except Jano can share one too
We’ll do it again tomorrow at 3:07pm ET. Yusei Kikuchi (2-1, 2.28) will represent the home squad, while Tyler Glasnow (4-1, 2.92) will toe the rubber for the visitors.