TORONTO (AP) — Brandon Valenzuela hit a three-run home run, Ernie Clement had a solo homer among his career-high tying five hits and the Toronto Blue Jays used a seven-run fifth inning to rout the Los Angeles Angels 14-1 on Saturday.
Mason Fluharty (2-0) worked one inning for the win as Toronto set season-highs in runs and hits (20).
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Toronto Blue Jays' Brandon Valenzuela, right, is congratulated by teammates Daulton Varsho (5) and Ernie Clement, left, as he crosses home plate after his three-run home run during fifth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jack Kochanowicz winds up to deliver against the Toronto Blue Jays during baseball game action in Toronto, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays' Addison Barger breaks his bat while facing Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jack Kochanowicz during first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage winds up to deliver against the Los Angeles Angels during first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela, left, tags out Los Angeles Angels' Jorge Soler (12) who grounded out at home plate during second-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
Clement had infield singles in the second and fourth, then drove in a run with a hard single off the glove of third baseman Yoán Moncada in the fifth. He homered off Mitch Farris to begin the seventh, his second of the season, then singled in the ninth.
Valenzuela went 4 for 5, with four RBIs in his first career four-hit game, coming within a triple of the cycle. He homered on the first pitch he saw from Farris in the fifth.
Mike Trout went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts before being replaced defensively by Bryce Teodosio, ending a 23-game run of reaching base in Toronto that began in May 2015.
Adam Frazier drove in the Angels' only run with a pinch-hit single in the top of the eighth, then stayed in to pitch the bottom half. Frazier gave up four runs and five hits including a solo homer by Jesús Sánchez.
Jack Kochanowicz (2-2) allowed nine hits and seven runs, six earned, in four-plus innings. He faced six batters in the fifth but didn’t record an out.
Toronto's Addison Barger walked twice in his return after missing 29 games because of a sprained left ankle. The Blue Jays optioned Yohendrick Piñango to Triple-A Buffalo.
In the second, Barger caught Vaughn Grissom’s fly ball and threw home at 101.2 miles per hour to retire Jorge Soler for an inning-ending double play. It was the fastest throw on an outfield assist by any Blue Jays player since 2015, and the fastest in the majors this season.
Angels RHP José Soriano (5-2, 1.74 ERA) is scheduled to face Blue Jays LHP Eric Lauer (1-4, 6.03) on Sunday.
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Toronto Blue Jays' Brandon Valenzuela, right, is congratulated by teammates Daulton Varsho (5) and Ernie Clement, left, as he crosses home plate after his three-run home run during fifth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jack Kochanowicz winds up to deliver against the Toronto Blue Jays during baseball game action in Toronto, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays' Addison Barger breaks his bat while facing Los Angeles Angels pitcher Jack Kochanowicz during first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Trey Yesavage winds up to deliver against the Los Angeles Angels during first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
Toronto Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela, left, tags out Los Angeles Angels' Jorge Soler (12) who grounded out at home plate during second-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Saturday, May 9, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jackson Blake scored 5:28 into overtime for his second of the game, Logan Stankoven also scored in regulation and the Carolina Hurricanes finished a four-game sweep with a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the second straight season.
Frederik Andersen made 15 saves for Carolina, which has not lost in eight playoff games.
Alex Bump and Tyson Foerster scored for the Flyers.
Taylor Hall and Jaccob Slavin assisted the winning goal.
Dan Vladar stopped 37 shots for Philadelphia.
Carolina will play the winner of Buffalo and Montreal in the Eastern Conference finals after the NHL’s first 8-0 start in the playoffs since 1985.
The Hurricanes, who reached the Eastern Conference finals for the third time in four years, are looking for their first Stanley Cup since 2006. Carolina is the 24th team in league history to win eight or more consecutive games during a playoff run. Eighteen of them have won the Stanley Cup.
Philadelphia scored just five goals over the four games.
Bump scored 5:52 into the third period to tie the game at 2-2.
Stankoven’s seventh tally of the playoffs 4:13 into the third period gave Carolina a 2-1 lead after he finished a beautiful cross-ice pass from Hall with a one-timer from just outside of the crease. Philadelphia evened the score 1:39 later when Bump shot past Andersen’s glove side from the slot after a setup from Travis Konecny from behind the net.
Blake tied it at 1-1 with 7:25 remaining in the second when his wrist shot from along the boards caromed off Philadelphia defenseman Jamie Drysdale and past Vladar. It appeared as if Carolina went in front just 28 seconds later when Mark Jankowski beat Vladar, but the goal was overturned following a challenge by Flyers coach Rick Tocchet when officials ruled that Carolina’s William Carrier interfered with Vladar.
The Flyers had a pair of good chances late in the period to take the lead but could not convert. The best opportunity came in the final seconds of the period when Christian Dvorak’s wrist shot from close range went off the post on Andersen’s glove side.
Carolina finished regulation with a 36-15 advantage in shots.
Russian winger Matvei Michkov was a healthy scratch for the Flyers. Michkov, 23, was the No. 7 overall pick in 2023 by Philadelphia and was heralded as an important piece for the rebuilding franchise’s future. But the right wing has struggled thus far in his first playoff experience, garnering one point while accumulating a minus-3 in eight games. It is the second time he has been a healthy scratch this postseason, following Game 5 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
Philadelphia Flyers' Dan Vladar, right, cannot stop a goal by Carolina Hurricanes' Jackson Blake (not shown) as Flyers' Jamie Drysdale (9) and Hurricanes' Logan Stankoven, left, look on during the second period of Game 4 in a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Philadelphia Flyers' Alex Bump, left, celebrates past Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Martinook, center, and Sean Walker, right, after scoring a goal during the third period of Game 4 in a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Carolina Hurricanes' William Carrier, left, tries to get past Philadelphia Flyers' Oliver Bonk, right, during the third period of Game 4 in a second-round NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Saturday, May 9, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)