By PAUL GOTHAM
Former Brighton High School standout, Ernie Clement needed a moment to catch his breath.
After rounding the bases following a two-run home run in the second inning of Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Sunday, Clement headed for the runway of the Toronto Blue Jays’ dugout.
“I had to walk back into the clubhouse and kinda gather myself because my heart was beating so fast,” he said after the Blue Jays 13-7 victory over the New York Yankees at the Rogers Centre. “I was so excited.”
Clement connected on the first offering he saw from Yankee starter, Max Fried – a 75 MPH curve ball.
“I don’t remember anything,” he said of his trip around the bases. “I totally blacked out. I honestly have no idea what I was doing. I looked like an idiot.”
ERNIE CLEMENT!@BLUEJAYS SCORE FIRST IN GAME 2! #ALDS pic.twitter.com/XHCb9U8y9L
— MLB (@MLB) October 5, 2025
Clement’s round-tripper, his first career post-season hit, registered 94.1 MPH off the bat and traveled 354 feet over the Jays’ bullpen in left field.
“It’s kinda what you dream about as a kid in the back yard, but usually it’s in the ninth inning when you do that kinda thing. Had a lot of game left, so I had to lock back in.”
Clement added an RBI single in the third that brought home Daulton Varsho and finished the day 3-for-4 hitting out of the six-spot in the lineup.
With the win, Toronto takes a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 3 is scheduled Tuesday in New York. An 8:08 p.m. first pitch is scheduled at Yankee Stadium.
Rookie Trey Yesavage hurled five-plus no-hit innings to pick up the win on Sunday. The 6-foot-4 right-hander struck out 11 and limited the Yankees to two baserunners – a walk to Aaron Judge in the first inning and then Jazz Chisolm Jr. reached on an error in the fifth.
Clement’s home run was one of five the Jays hit on Sunday including a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. grand slam as part of a six-run Toronto fourth.
Clement is the first former Section V baseball player to reach the MLB postseason in 40 years.
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