TORONTO — The last time the Dodgers and the Blue Jays played in Toronto, it was a nailbiter to end all nailbiters. Monday’s rematch was a much more comfortable affair for Dodgers fans. Riding a pair of two-run homers from Teoscar Hernandez and Freddie Freeman early, the Dodgers rolled to an easy 14-2 win over last year’s World Series opponent.

Teo Time Comes Eary

After Shohei Ohtani lined out to open the game against one-time Dodger Max Scherzer, the Dodgers struck with lightning speed. Kyle Tucker drew a one-out walk, and after Freddie Freeman struck out for the second out of the inning, the suddenly hot Teoscar Hernandez dug in. Hernandez, who caught fire over the weekend in Washington with five hits in two games, was looking to do damage in his former stomping grounds. And damage he most certainly did. He got a hanging slider and blasted it over the left field fence for his second home run of the year, and the Dodgers had another early lead (I could get used to this).

It was a busy first inning, as Dodgers starter Justin Wrobleski had plenty of traffic to deal with as well, much of it of his own doing. He walked two Blue Jays, and had a couple more hit deep flyballs to the outfield for outs. However, the big damage in the inning was caused by Ernie Clement (that guy again), who hit an RBI single to score leadoff man George Springer with the Jays first run.

Scherzer Out, Dodgers Take Advantage

A bit of a surprise after the two teams traded scoreless frames in the second. In the top of the third, a relief pitcher took to the mound instead of Max Scherzer. And the Dodgers pounced on the opportunity. It was the second time through the lineup, and Shohei Ohtani led off with a nubber in front of the mound that Fleming misplayed, and threw the ball into right field, allowing Shohei to glide into second.

That came back to haunt the Jays one batter later, as Freddie Freeman absolutely crushed a 3-2 fastball, sending it deep into the the Toronto upper deck for the team’s second two-run dinger of the night. Freeman’s Canadian homecoming continues to produce good memories.

The Dodgers were able to add a couple more runs on productive outs in the next two innings. They got a sacrifice fly from Kyle Tucker in the fourth, and a

Wrobo on Point

The good news. Justin Wrobleski did NOT start any bench clearing dust-ups on Monday night. The better news. He pitched very well en route to his first win in nearly two years. He had command and control issues in that first inning, but other than that it was a fairly stress-free outing. After that first inning, Wrobleski just allowed a handful of baserunners while keeping his pitch count in check. He left the field with a job well done. His line for the evening: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K. Take THAT, Andres Gimenez!

Welcome to the Sho!

Shohei Ohtani got a gift hit on a dribbler in the third, but his next hit of the night had a good deal more authority. Leading off the sixth, he demolished a pitch from former Diamondback Joe Mantiply and sent it flying over the center field fence to make it a 7-1 game. But the Dodgers weren’t even close to finished. Andy Pages, just named NL Player of the Week, smashed a two-run double in the sixth to increase the Dodger lead to curb-stomping levels.

Have a Day, Dalton Rushing!

Dalton Rushing, who spent the entirety of the World Series on the bench while Will Smith caught every inning, decided it was time for him to announce his presence on the team to the good people of Canada. Rushing hit two home runs on the day, and probably had his best day in Dodger blue of his career: 4-for-4, three runs scored, two home runs, and two RBI. That is one way to get yourself some playing time. Good job, Dalton.

Next Up: The Return of Yama

Sales of Tums might skyrocket on Tuesday. The epic hero of the 2025 series takes to the mound again for the Dodgers. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will be returning to the site of his most impressive postseason accomplishment in his brief MLB career. Three appearances at Roger Centre. Three Wins. Including a complete game. But, he’ll not have it easy in this encore performance. He faces off against Kevin Gausman, arguably the best of the Toronto starters. It should be a dandy. Game Time 4:07 PDT. See you there!!

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