Bichette's clutch hit in 8th lifts Blue Jays past Nationals

TORONTO - Bo Bichette drove home two runs with a two-out single in the eighth inning to lift the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-3 win over the Washington Nationals in interleague play Tuesday.

Jays starter Jose Berrios appeared headed to his 100th career win after limiting the Nationals (1-4) to four hits over 5 2/3 innings with Toronto (4-2) scoring three runs in the second inning. 

But Berrios gave up a two-out single by Keibert Ruiz in the sixth before giving way to Yariel Rodríguez with a one-run lead.

Mason Fluharty, making his major-league debut, came on in the seventh with a man on third with two out and Toronto trying to hang on to that 3-2 lead. The 23-year-old left-hander gave up an RBI double to C.J. Abrams that tied the game before getting the final out.

Fluharty exited with two outs in the eighth after securing his first big-league strikeout.

Jeff Hoffman pitched the ninth for his second save before an announced crowd of 21,845. Reliever Chad Green (1-0) got the win.

The Jays sent eight batters to the plate in the second inning, collecting three runs on singles by Gimenez, Alejandro Kirk, Springer, Wagner (a nifty bunt) and Alan Roden.

Berrios struck out four of the first five hitters he faced and only conceded a walk, promptly erased by a double play, before giving up a broken-bat double to Abrams to open the fourth. The right-hander faced 16 batters over the first five innings and finished with eight strikeouts and three walks in a 95-pitch outing.

KEY MOMENT

Springer opened the eighth with a single off Washington reliever Jose Ferrer (0-1), who then fumbled Wagner's sacrifice bunt to put men on first and second. Ernie Clement's sacrifice bunt advanced the runners. Pinch-hitter Davis Schneider struck out before Bichette lined a single down the right-field line.

KEY STAT

All 12 Toronto hits were singles.

It was the first Loonie Dogs Night of the season at the Rogers Centre. According to the Jays, fans ate 727,819 Loonie Dogs last year, a single-season record. The record for one-game hotdog consumption is 76,627, on Aug. 28, 2023, against the Washington Nationals. Tuesday's count reached 17,500 before the first pitch with the number at 37,922 after the final out.

UP NEXT

The two teams wrap up their three-game series with an afternoon start (3:07 p.m. ET) with Easton Lucas starting for Toronto and MacKenzie Gore for Washington. The Jays then have an off-day before a 10-game road trip that starts Friday in New York with a three-game set against the Mets. The Nationals return home to open a six-game homestand Friday against Arizona and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 1, 2025.

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