Mookie Betts leads Dodgers past Blue Jays 4-2; Toronto drops fifth consecutive game
Facing down superstar Shohei Ohtani brought out Yusei Kikuchi's hardest pitches.
Kikuchi threw the fastest pitches of his season in Ohtani's three at bats against him but the Los Angeles Dodgers still beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 on Saturday. Kikuchi said his adrenalin was pumping when pitching against his fellow Japanese player.
“I threw my best fastball there this year,” said Kikuchi, referring to a 98.2 m.p.h. four-seam fastball in the second inning that Ohtani hit for an RBI. “But I think the exit velocity on his hit, it was pretty good as well, so he got the best of me there but I was glad to get him out after that.”
Kikuchi struck out Ohtani, who went to the same high school as him in Japan though at different times, in the fourth. Ohtani finished the day 1 for 5, a relatively quiet day for arguably the best hitter in baseball. He has a .347 batting average with seven home runs and 18 runs batted in.
On top of the 98.2 m.p.h. four-seamer Ohtani got a piece of, Kikuchi hit 97.9 m.p.h. on the radar gun twice and 97.7 once, all against Ohtani. Those weren't just the hardest pitches of the game, but the hardest he has thrown this season.
“It was tough facing him, especially because there was a runner on every time when I faced him, so it made it that much more difficult,” said Kikuchi through translator Yusuke Oshima. “He's getting better and better every year so the main focus in the matchups with him was just not to give up the big hit like a home run.”
Mookie Betts went 3 for 5, including a triple and an RBI single, to lead Los Angeles (18-11) to its sixth consecutive win. Chris Taylor and Ohtani each had an RBI single in the second and Canadian-American first baseman Freddie Freeman's sacrifice fly scored Betts in the first.
Tyler Glasnow (5-1) had nine strikeouts, allowing a run on two hits and three walks over six innings. Joe Kelly, Ryan Brasier and Evan Phillips came out of the Dodgers' bullpen to preserve the win.
Davis Schneider had an RBI double in the seventh and scored in the ninth as Toronto (13-15) lost its fifth straight game. Cavan Biggio drove Schneider in with a two-out base hit.
“I feel like you're never really out of it until all 27 outs are made,” said Schneider. “Kind of came up short there but you've just got to fight until the end.”
Kikuchi (2-2) gave up four runs on nine hits, striking out three over six innings. Blue Jays relievers Genesis Cabrera, Yimi Garcia, Jordan Romano of Markham, Ont., and Nate Pearson combined for three innings of scoreless relief.
Ohtani was loudly booed by most of the 39,405 fans in attendance whenever his name was announced over the Rogers Centre's public address system.
The Japanese superstar earned the enmity of Toronto fans after he chose the Dodgers over the Blue Jays during free agency this past winter.
He signed a 10-year, US$700 million deal with Los Angeles on Dec. 11. It's the largest contract in professional sports history.
“Once I heard the boos, I just kind of turned my ears off,” said Glasnow.
There was a small section of fans who loudly cheered whenever Freeman, whose parents are Canadian, came to the plate. That same group got a few “Let's go Dodgers” chants going in their section as well.
Betts led the game off with a triple after Toronto centre-fielder Daulton Varsho missed the ball on a diving catch. Two batters later, Freeman hit a sacrifice fly that gave Betts plenty of time to run home for an early Los Angeles lead.
Taylor added another run in the second with a single to left field, driving in Enrique Hernandez from third. Two batters later, Ohtani singled to right to cash in Andy Pages and give the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.
Betts drove in another run for the visitors in the fourth, with a single to shallow centre field scoring Miguel Rojas.
Toronto finally answered back in the seventh when Schneider's double scored Danny Jansen and ended Glasnow's outing. It was Schneider's 11th RBI of the young season.
Biggio cut into the Dodgers' lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Schneider had reached base after Phillips's throwing error got him to second and then Biggio singled to score his teammate.
ON DECK - Kevin Gausman (0-3) takes the mound for the Blue Jays in their series finale with Los Angeles.
James Paxton (2-0) of Richmond, B.C., will get the start for the Dodgers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live updates: What star witness in Trump hush money case has said on the stand so far
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial took the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
When you have a moment's notice to evacuate, what do you take?
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.’s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease’s progression.
Canucks' Soucy suspended 1 game, Zadorov fined $5,000 for post-game crosschecks on McDavid
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been suspended for a game and another was handed a hefty fine after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sues for defamation over National Enquirer, InTouch Weekly stories
'Judge Judy' Sheindlin sued the parent company of the National Enquirer and InTouch Weekly on Monday for a story that she said falsely claimed that she was trying to help the Menendez brothers get a retrial after they were convicted of murdering their parents.
Wildfire smoke drifts across Canada, over parts of U.S., prompting air quality advisories
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
'A great victory for the industry': Taxi drivers celebrate ruling that found City of Ottawa negligent in allowing Uber to operate
An Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled that the City of Ottawa was negligent in its enforcement of the city's taxi bylaw when it allowed Uber to begin operating in 2014, harming the city's established taxi industry.