Gausman pitches 7 innings for first win as Blue Jays cool off Dodgers with 3-1 win

TORONTO (AP) — Kevin Gausman pitched seven solid innings for his first victory of the season, and the Toronto Blue Jays stopped the Los Angeles Dodgers' six-game win streak with a 3-1 victory on Sunday.

Alejandro Kirk went 3 for 3 for Toronto, hitting his first homer of the season in the second. He was mired in an 0-for-11 slide coming into the day.

The Blue Jays had lost a season-high five straight games.

Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani hit a deep drive to center field in his first at-bat against Gausman, but Toronto’s Daulton Varsho made a leaping catch on the warning track before slamming into the fence.

Blue Jays right fielder George Springer made a sensational diving catch on Andy Pages’ liner for the first out of the ninth.

Freddie Freeman hit a solo homer for the Dodgers, his second, but Los Angeles couldn’t complete back-to-back sweeps. The NL West leaders won three straight at Washington last week before crossing the border into Canada.

Varsho and Isiah Kiner-Falefa had run-scoring groundouts for the Blue Jays, who improved to 4-12 when scoring three or fewer runs.

Gausman (1-3) allowed five hits, including Freeman’s two-out homer in the sixth. The right-hander struck out five and walked none.

Yimi García walked ninth-place hitter Austin Barnes to begin the eighth, and Mookie Betts followed with a double. García got Ohtani to pop up and Freeman was walked intentionally to load the bases before Teoscar Hernández struck out.

Left-hander Tim Mayza came on and retired Max Muncy on a fly ball to the warning track in right-center.

Jordan Romano worked the ninth for his fourth save in four chances.

Right-hander Michael Grove (0-1) opened for the Dodgers and exited after allowing three runs and three hits in the second, including Kirk’s two-out homer.

The three-run frame gave the Blue Jays their first lead since the fifth inning of Tuesday’s loss at Kansas City. For the Dodgers, it marked the first time they had trailed by multiple runs since a 6-4 loss to the Mets on April 20.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: LHP James Paxton (2-0, 2.61 ERA) is scheduled to start Monday as Los Angeles opens a three-game series at Arizona.

Blue Jays: RHP Yariel Rodríguez (0-1, 3.86 ERA) is expected to start Monday as Toronto hosts Kansas City.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Michael Grove reacts as Toronto Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk rounds the bases on a solo home run during second-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani starts up the base path after hitting a line drive to second base during fourth-inning baseball game action against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Justin Turner, center, crosses the plate to score against the Los Angeles Dodgers during second-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, right, reacts as he hits himself with a foul ball as Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk, left, looks on during sixth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, right, reacts as he hits himself with a foul ball as Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk, left, looks on during sixth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk celebrates after his solo home run as he crosses the plate during second-inning baseball game action against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Toronto, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman works against the Los Angeles Dodgers during first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits a line drive to second base during fourth-inning baseball game action against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Alejandro Kirk hits a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during second-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman works against the Los Angeles Dodgers during first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

BANGKOK (AP) — A young activist in Thailand who went on a hunger strike after being jailed for advocating reform of the country’s monarchy system died Tuesday in a prison hospital, officials said. The death sparked fresh calls for reviewing the judicial process that allows political offenders accused of nonviolent offenses to be held for extended periods in prison ahead of being tried.

Netiporn “Bung” Sanesangkhom, 28, was a member of the activist group Thaluwang, known for their bold and aggressive campaigns demanding reform of the monarchy and abolition of the law that makes it illegal to defame members of the royal family. The group’s name can be loosely translated as “breaking through the palace,” a reference to its open criticism of Thailand’s monarchy.

She appears to be the first political activist in Thailand to have died after carrying on a partial hunger strike. for 110 days while she was awaiting trial.

The Thailand branch of the human rights group Amnesty International described Netiporn’s death as “a shocking reminder that Thai authorities are denying activists their right to temporary release on bail and using detention to silence the peaceful expression of dissent.”

“This is a grim day for Thai society, highlighting the severe judicial harassment and the justice system’s failure to recognize basic human rights,” the group said. “Speaking out should not lead to death; it should inspire change.(asterisk)

The popular opposition Move Forward party, which has also campaigned for reform of the monarchy, issued a statement saying that people should not be jailed for holding political opinions and that persons accused of political offenses should be granted bail.

Thailand’s monarchy until recent years was widely considered an untouchable, bedrock element of Thai nationalism. Criticism of the monarchy was taboo, and insulting or defaming key royal family members remains punishable by up to 15 years in prison under a lese majeste law, usually referred to as Article 112 of Thailand’s Criminal Code.

Student-led pro-democracy protests beginning in 2020 openly criticized the monarchy, leading to vigorous prosecutions under the law, which had previously been relatively rarely employed. Critics say the law is often wielded as a tool to quash political dissent.

The protest movement faded due to government harassment and the coronavirus pandemic, but Netiporn was one of more than 270 activists charged with the royal defamation law since the protests in 2020-21.

Netiporn suffered cardiac arrest early Tuesday morning, and medical teams spent several hours trying to resuscitate her. She was pronounced dead just before noon, according to a statement from the Corrections Department.

She had two charges of lese majeste pending against her, both of them involving conducting polls in public spaces in 2022 asking people’s opinion about the royal family, according to the group Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. Her release on bail was revoked in January due to her participation in a political rally last year.

Netiporn started her hunger strike after she was detained in January. The Corrections Department said she began eating and drinking water again after April 4. However, the human rights lawyer group’s latest update on her condition on April 25 said she was still fasting.

Two fellow jailed activists are also carrying out hunger strikes. Both are Thaluwang members who were also charged with lese majeste for agitating for reform of the monarchy, and they started their hunger strikes about a month after Netiporn.

Netiporn’s lawyers had applied for her to be transferred from the Central Corrections Hospital to Thammasat University Hospital but she was never granted a prolonged stay there for treatment, said her lawyer, Kritsadang Nutcharas. The authorities said they would establish the legal cause of death.

“Does it seem like there’s standard treatment in the Thai justice system when we compare what these kids are going through with their political charges and what some prominent adults have gone through?” Kritsadang said. He was making an apparent reference to former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who returned from exile last year to serve a prison term in corruption-related cases but never spent a single night in jail on grounds of ill health.

At a candlelight vigil Tuesday night outside Bangkok’s Criminal Court, another activist facing lese majeste charges, Panusaya “Rung” Sitthijirawattanakul, decried the failure of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s government to ease the plight of political prisoners.

“Do you need someone to die first before you think of doing something?” she said. “How many of us have to die before you start listening to us? We are not people to be scared of. We’re just ordinary people who are asking for something. So this is very brutal.”

Thaluwang has held high-profile protests calling not only for reform of the monarchy, but also changes in the justice system and an end to political persecution through the courts. It has also called for rejection of Thailand’s application to join the U.N. Human Rights Council.

Thailand announced its bid for a seat on the rights council for the 2025-2027 term after the current government took office last year, seeking to show its commitment to protect human rights. Critics charge that the reality of law enforcement in the country strongly contradicts its ambition to be recognized by the international community as a human rights defender.

Human Rights Watch has raised concerns over “the Thai government’s use of arbitrary arrest and pretrial detention to punish critics of the monarchy for their views,” which it says is a violation of their rights under international human rights law.

Follow AP's Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific

Thai activists hold candles during a vigil for Netiporn Sanesangkhom, a member of the activist group Thaluwang, known for their bold and aggressive campaigns demanding reform of the monarchy and abolition of the law that makes it illegal to defame members of the royal family, outside of Criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Netiporn who went on a hunger strike after being jailed for her involvement in protests calling for reform of the country's monarchy system died Tuesday in a prison hospital, officials said. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Thai activists hold candles during a vigil for Netiporn Sanesangkhom, a member of the activist group Thaluwang, known for their bold and aggressive campaigns demanding reform of the monarchy and abolition of the law that makes it illegal to defame members of the royal family, outside of Criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Netiporn who went on a hunger strike after being jailed for her involvement in protests calling for reform of the country's monarchy system died Tuesday in a prison hospital, officials said. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Thai activists hold candles during a vigil for Netiporn Sanesangkhom, a member of the activist group Thaluwang, known for their bold and aggressive campaigns demanding reform of the monarchy and abolition of the law that makes it illegal to defame members of the royal family, outside of Criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Netiporn who went on a hunger strike after being jailed for her involvement in protests calling for reform of the country's monarchy system died Tuesday in a prison hospital, officials said. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Thai activists hold candles during a vigil for Netiporn Sanesangkhom, a member of the activist group Thaluwang, known for their bold and aggressive campaigns demanding reform of the monarchy and abolition of the law that makes it illegal to defame members of the royal family, outside of Criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Netiporn who went on a hunger strike after being jailed for her involvement in protests calling for reform of the country's monarchy system died Tuesday in a prison hospital, officials said. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Thai activists hold candles during a vigil for Netiporn Sanesangkhom, a member of the activist group Thaluwang, known for their bold and aggressive campaigns demanding reform of the monarchy and abolition of the law that makes it illegal to defame members of the royal family, outside of Criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Netiporn who went on a hunger strike after being jailed for her involvement in protests calling for reform of the country's monarchy system died Tuesday in a prison hospital, officials said. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Thai activists hold a portrait of Netiporn Sanesangkhom, a member of the activist group Thaluwang, known for their bold and aggressive campaigns demanding reform of the monarchy and abolition of the law that makes it illegal to defame members of the royal family outside of Criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Netiporn who went on a hunger strike after being jailed for her involvement in protests calling for reform of the country's monarchy system died Tuesday in a prison hospital, officials said. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)