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TORONTO — Shohei Ohtani responded to boos from the crowd by hitting his seventh home run, Max Muncy and Will Smith also went deep and the Los Angeles Dodgers extended their winning streak to five games with a 12-2 rout of the Blue Jays on Friday night.

Ohtani, who leads the Dodgers in home runs this season, also has an MLB-leading 20 extra-base hits in April. This is the ninth time that a Dodgers player has recorded 20 extra-base hits in a single month since the team moved to Los Angeles in 1958.

Some in the crowd of 39,688 booed Ohtani when he was introduced prior to the game and before each of his at-bats.

“Not surprised,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.

Unfazed, the slugger homered on the third pitch he saw from Chris Bassitt (2-4) in the first inning.

“After he homered, the guys in the dugout booed him as well,” manager Dave Roberts said. “That was pretty funny. He got a big kick out of that. But I don’t think it’s a motivator.”

Smith said he was impressed with Ohtani’s response to the unwelcome reception.

“You can’t make something happen there,” Smith said. “He got a pitch to hit and he put it over the fence. That’s what he does.”

Ohtani met with Toronto in free agency last winter, visiting the Blue Jays’ spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida.

In early December, rumors swirled that the two-time AL MVP was aboard a private jet to Toronto, ready to sign with the Blue Jays. Ohtani was not on the flight, and his $700 million deal with the Dodgers was announced the following day.

“Aside from how the fans may or may not think, I’m just very grateful for the teams that approached me and wanted to sign me,” Ohtani said. “As I said in my press conference before, ultimately I could only choose one team.”

On Friday, Ohtani was 1 for 4 with a walk with two runs scored. He went 0 for 4 in Thursday’s win at Washington, ending a nine-game hitting streak.

Smith, meanwhile, had his second straight four-hit game and finished with three RBIs as the Dodgers won in their first trip to Canada since 2016.

Muncy’s fifth homer of the season was a three-run shot off Bassitt that highlighted the Dodgers’ six-run third inning.

Smith hit a solo homer off righty Trevor Richards in the fourth, his second of the season.

“Across the board, we took really good at-bats,” Roberts said. “Even the bottom part of the order came through and was really productive as well.”

Dodgers right-hander Gavin Stone (2-1) allowed one run and two hits over a career-high seven innings in his third start.

“He was consistently ahead of guys,” Smith said.

Blue Jays infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa pitched the ninth inning and allowed one of the Dodgers’ 19 hits. It was Kiner-Falefa’s second stint on the mound this season and the sixth of his career.

Mookie Betts had two hits and an RBI and Freddie Freeman reached base twice and drove in a run.

Left-hander Nick Ramirez pitched the final two innings for Los Angeles.

ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Springer out after 3rd base hop, ending Jays’ rally

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Springer out after 3rd base hop, ending Jays' rally

TORONTO — Blue Jays outfielder George Springer skipped into third base on a key RBI hit by teammate Alejandro Kirk, and hopped right into an inning-ending out in the fifth on Sunday against the Athletics.

Springer was called out following a replay review after Athletics third baseman Max Schuemann alertly kept his glove on the Blue Jays right fielder while Springer hopped up and down on third base.

Springer, who had reached on an RBI single that opened the scoring for Toronto, was celebrating Kirk’s double that cut the deficit to 3-2.

The out call meant Toronto slugger Addison Barger didn’t get to bat with runners at second and third.

Schuemann had just entered the game as a defensive replacement, taking over for Miguel Andujar.

The Athletics had lost five straight and 16 of 17 entering Sunday.

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Rangers keep slumping slugger Garcia on bench

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Rangers keep slumping slugger Garcia on bench

ARLINGTON, Texas — Slumping Rangers slugger Adolis García was held out of Texas’ lineup for the third consecutive day Sunday, with president of baseball operations Chris Young saying the club wants the 2023 ALCS MVP to make some mechanical changes.

“We need him to kind of commit to some of these changes that we think will get him back to the ’23 version of himself and help him be the player that we know he can be,” Young said before Texas’ series finale against St. Louis.

García is hitting .155 in the past 20 games with 25 strikeouts. He is hitting .208 overall, with seven homers and a team-high 27 RBIs for a Rangers club that has struggled offensively. He ranked 14th in the majors with 122 home runs over the past four seasons.

García, who has started 55 of Texas’ 60 games in right field this season, missed only one other game before this weekend, with manager Bruce Bochy saying Friday that García was being given a mental break.

“It’s about the mental reset and coming back with more energy,” García told reporters Saturday. “I’m working on some stuff without the pressure of having to do something up there.”

García, 32, is in the final season of a two-year contract.

The anticipated return of Evan Carter to the active roster Tuesday, joining Wyatt Langford, Alejandro Osuna and Sam Haggerty, further crowds the Rangers outfield as García tries to return to the lineup.

“It’s going to be performance-driven at this point,” Young said.

Texas also made three roster moves before Sunday’s game. Right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (triceps fatigue) was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Thursday, catcher Tucker Barnhart was designated for assignment, and right-hander Codi Heuer was selected from Triple-A Round Rock.

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Phils moving Walker to relief in bullpen shakeup

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Phils moving Walker to relief in bullpen shakeup

PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies made moves to restructure their bullpen Sunday, removing Taijuan Walker from the rotation and recalling right-handed reliever Seth Johnson before their series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Mick Abel will take Walker’s place in the starting rotation Thursday in Toronto. Reliever Jose Ruiz was designated for assignment to clear a roster spot for Johnson.

“I think Tai’s got a chance to make us a lot better coming out of the ‘pen,” manager Rob Thomson said.

Walker has made 10 appearances, including eight starts and two long relief appearances, with a 2-4 record and 3.53 ERA in 43⅓ innings. Thomson will use Walker in one-inning roles.

The 32-year-old Walker has been primarily a starter throughout his 13-year career. He is in the third year of a $72 million, four-year contract.

Abel made his major league debut on May 18, throwing six scoreless innings. The 23-year-old was the No. 15 pick in the 2020 amateur draft.

Johnson, 26, is 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 33 innings with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, transitioning from the starting rotation to a relief role. He made one appearance for the Phillies last year, allowing nine earned runs in 2⅓ innings on Sept. 8 against Miami.

Johnson was acquired by the Phillies from Baltimore on July 30, 2024, in a trade for Gregory Soto.

Ruiz had an 8.16 ERA in 14⅓ innings this season, including allowing five runs in one inning of Saturday’s 17-7 loss to the Brewers. The 30-year-old right-hander had a 5-1 record and 3.71 ERA in 52 appearances in 2024.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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