Yankees Pitcher Plunks Blue Jays Unlikely Hero After New York Got Its Hopes Crushed
Yankees went down swinging!
Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement took a 96-mph fastball to the shoulder Wednesday night, courtesy of Yankees reliever Camilo Doval.
New York was trailing 5–1 in the eighth inning of Game 4, and the hit-by-pitch looked every bit like a plunk born out of frustration.
WATCH:
Clement didn’t back down. He locked eyes with Doval, while the Yankees pitcher gestured that it wasn’t intentional — not that Clement looked convinced.
From the Toronto dugout, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. motioned for his teammates to stay calm as Clement took his base, mumbling an F-bomb, knowing he’d gotten under the Yankees’ skin but still feeling the sting of that ugly cutter.
Some little-known infielder named Ernie Clement had tormented New York throughout the ALDS, reaching base enough times to draw the ire of Yankees fans.
NEW YORK - Ernie Clement of the Toronto Blue Jays falls after being hit by a pitch during the eighth inning against the New York Yankees in game four of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 8, 2025. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - Ernie Clement of the Toronto Blue Jays falls after being hit by a pitch during the eighth inning against the New York Yankees in game four of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 8, 2025. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
Coming into Game 4, Clement was an unlikely postseason star for Toronto. After Wednesday's close-out game, Clement tallied 8 hits in his last 10 at-bats of this ALDS.
The disarrayed Yankees met their season's end on Wednesday after an unlikely comeback in Game 3 had briefly pushed them back into the series.
New York's pitching was up to task: rookie Cam Schlittler threw a strong final performance on the mound, going for 6.1 innings, giving up eight hits, only two earned runs.
The Blue Jays punched their ticket to the ALCS, closing out New York, 5-2.
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