Angels collapse hitting tired Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays played like a team that arrived home in the wee hours of the morning after a successful and intense 6-1 road trip against two fiery rivals, the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox.

The Blue Jays returned home at 4:30 a.m. Friday and, less than 18 hours later, were licking their wounds after a 12-0 loss to the lowly Los Angeles Angels.

The Angels (53-73) snapped a six-game losing streak to win for only the second time in 11 games, while Toronto (68-56) lost only for the second time in nine outings.

To make matters worse, right fielder Teoscar Hernandez left after two innings with a bruised left foot before 40,754 at Rogers Center in Toronto.

He fell to the ground in the batter’s box in the first inning after fouling on a foot pitch. He hurt the same foot at Yankee Stadium a week ago.

In the second inning, the Angels scored two runs on a double from David Fletcher’s left-field fence with the bases loaded. Shohei Ohtani then hit a triple from the fence into left field to score two more runs.

Hernandez was in position to make the catch but stopped running. The ball landed 10 feet to his right.

« I think it was a misreading on his part, » Schneider said. « If he had been really, really hurt, he would have been out. »

Hernandez came out, but the Angels had built a 5-0 lead.

« We try to be careful with him there, » Schneider said.

The only player who didn’t have a built-in excuse was starter Mitch White (1-4). He came home early to get a good night’s rest.

But after the hectic second inning, he gave up a two-run homer to Andrew Velazquez in the third inning.

“As soon as I get punched in the face there, it’s like, ‘Okay, this is going to be a chore,’” White said. “You just have to be ready no matter what.

« Obviously the game got out of control, but at this point it’s about protecting the bullpen and trying to keep the team in it. »

White went five innings and was responsible for seven runs on eight hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

Struggling Blue Jays southpaw Yusei Kikuchi relieved White and struck out six batters in three innings. But he gave up a solo shot to left field from Jo Adell in the seventh inning and a two-run shot from Mike Trout in the eighth for his 27th.

Then infielder/outfielder Whit Merrifield was called in to pitch the ninth. He allowed a two-point outburst to Adell.

Toronto had just four hits against Angels starter Reid Demers (5-4). He went 5 1/3 innings, striking out five and striking out three for the Blue Jays.

Merrifield left the bases loaded in the sixth inning, crashing into Velazquez. Santiago Espinal flew to the center with the bases loaded in the eighth.

Schneider announced that George Springer could return to center field in « the next few days. »

Since returning from the disabled list, he has been the designated hitter. He has a 10-game hitting streak, going 18-for-36 (.500) after going 1-for-4 on Friday.

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