TORONTO — Freddie Freeman, native of Canada, gave his home country a gift early in Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday night
The Blue Jays just failed to do anything with it.
Ernie Clement led off the bottom of the second inning by skying a pop-up in front of the mound.
Freeman, an All-Star first baseman, came charging in to try to handle it for Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but overran it and the ball fell over his head and beyond his outstretched glove.
Yamamoto picked up Freeman, though, retiring the next three batters in order — including the final out coming on a terrific sliding play by shortstop Mookie Betts on a ball to his right — to keep the Dodgers’ 1-0 lead in check.
It also didn’t hurt Freeman or the Dodgers that they had Yamamoto on the mound, who ended up pitching a complete-game gem in Los Angeles’ 5-1 Game 2 win over the Blue Jays.