Blue Jays Fans Welcome Dodgers with Boos

TORONTO — Maybe the Blue Jays fans could have been a bit tougher in their welcome.

As the Dodgers returned to Toronto for the first time since their thrilling World Series matchup last year, the Rogers Center crowd didn’t hold back. It was a mostly unfriendly reception.

Shohei Ohtani was met with loud boos and is set to become a free agent in two years, while Kyle Tucker faced similar jeers for opting to join the Dodgers over the Blue Jays in the recent winter free agency.

Overall, there wasn’t much warmth directed toward the Dodgers following their Game 7 triumph last November.

However, Freddie Freeman stood out as an exception, being a much-loved figure in Canada, especially since he represented the nation in the World Baseball Classic. Teoscar Hernandez is also remembered fondly; he played for the Blue Jays from 2017 to 2022.

Ironically, it was these two who contributed to the Dodgers’ overwhelming 14-2 victory on Monday night.

In the first inning, Hernandez hit a two-run homer down the left field line. Just two innings later, Freeman answered with a two-run hit that nearly cleared the right-field seats.

This performance marked yet another strong showing for the Dodgers’ offense. They notched double-digit runs for the third time in four days, tallying 17 hits and scoring in all but two innings.

Freeman (2 hits, 4 at-bats, 1 walk, 3 RBIs) is now tied for the MLB lead in RBIs with 12, while Hernandez (2 hits, 5 at-bats, 1 walk, 4 RBIs) also shone. Almost every player in the lineup made an impact.

Ohtani contributed two hits, including a homer in the sixth inning, causing the boos to swell even louder. Tucker reached base three times—once via a hit and twice with walks—and scored each time. Max Muncy and Andy Pages, the current National League Player of the Week, both had two hits, with Pages’ batting average soaring to an MLB-best .474.

Will Smith had a solid outing to match Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani for the second consecutive night. Backup catcher Dalton Rushing impressed, going 4 for 4 with two home runs and a hit by a pitch.

What it means

This season seems to echo last year’s results in this World Series rematch.

While Monday’s game lacked the drama of last year’s Game 7 and the emotional stakes were different, it still offered a moment of nostalgia. “There are a lot of great memories,” noted manager Dave Roberts.

With a total of 45 runs across their first four games of this road trip, the Dodgers made a strong statement with their most significant win of the season. This victory improved their record to 8 wins and 2 losses, the best in the majors after 10 games, extending their lead in the National League West by three games.

Who is hot

Hernandez didn’t start the season on a strong note.

Before Saturday’s fifth inning, all his seven hits had been singles, with six players grounding out, and three failing to reach the infield.

But things turned around in the past few days. Hernandez hit a double late in Saturday’s game, marked his first home run of the season on Sunday, and then opened Monday’s scoring with another homer—a hanging slider from Max Scherzer.

By the end of the night, Hernandez had raised his batting average to .353, now ranking second among eligible hitters on the team, right behind the impressive Pages.

Who is not?

The Blue Jays.

After a strong start defending their American League pennant with a win over the Athletics, they seem a far cry from the team that pushed the Dodgers to the limit last fall.

Recently, they dropped a home series to the struggling Colorado Rockies and nearly got swept by the equally struggling Chicago White Sox over the weekend. On Monday, they only assisted the Dodgers, committing two errors while all five pitchers allowed runs.

To top it off, Scherzer exited the game after just two innings, appearing to struggle with decreasing velocity. Also, starting catcher Alejandro Kirk is set for thumb surgery on Tuesday.

To the next

The Dodgers and Blue Jays are set to continue their series on Tuesday night. Yamamoto (1-1, 3.00 ERA) will face Kevin Guzman (0-0, 0.75 ERA). This week, Yamamoto swapped positions in the Dodgers’ rotation with Ohtani, giving Ohtani some extra rest before a day off on Wednesday.