Dalton Rushing had two home runs among his four hits Monday night and the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 14-2.
Former Blue Jay Teoscar Hernandez had a two-run homer and four RBIs while Freddie Freeman added a two-run homer and three RBIs in a rematch of the 2025 World Series.
Shohei Ohtani contributed two hits and a solo shot for the Dodgers, who have won four straight.
Kazuma Okamoto had two hits for the Blue Jays, who have lost five in a row.
Toronto’s Max Scherzer (1-1) walked Kyle Tucker with one out in the first, and after Freeman struck out, Hernandez roped a 1-0 slider down the left field line for his second homer in two games.
Scherzer left after two innings because of forearm tendinitis but could make his next start, according to manager John Schneider. The veteran right-hander gave up two runs on two hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
Justin Wrobleski (1-0) allowed one run in the bottom of the first. George Springer led off with a walk, Okamoto singled with two outs and Ernie Clement stroked an RBI single to center.
Josh Fleming, promoted from Triple-A Buffalo on Monday, replaced Scherzer in the third. Ohtani reached second on an infield single and Fleming’s throwing error. Two batters later, Freeman crushed a 3-2 fastball for a homer to right-center.
Los Angeles added a run in the fourth. Rushing was hit by a pitch, Hyeseong Kim walked, Ohtani’s fly ball advanced the runners and Tucker hit a sacrifice fly.
The Dodgers scored again in the fifth. Max Muncy led off with an infield single, took third on Andy Pages’ single and scored when Alex Freeland grounded into a double play.
Ohtani led off the sixth against Joe Mantiply with his third homer in four games. Tucker and Hernandez then walked. Tommy Nance replaced Mantiply and, after a double steal, Pages cranked a two-run double to right center.
Will Klein took over in the sixth from Wrobleski, who allowed one run, two hits and four walks while striking out two in five innings.
Rushing led off the seventh with a first-pitch homer against Nance. Kim followed with an infield hit and Tucker singled. Freeman hit an RBI double and Hernandez had a two-run single.
Rushing homered with one out in the eighth against Spencer Miles.
Toronto catcher Tyler Heineman pitched a perfect ninth. Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas surrendered a run in the bottom of the ninth.
–Field Level Media
