Ernie Clement’s home run helps Blue Jays take opener from Cubs

Ernie Clement hit a three-run home run, and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Chicago Cubs 5-1 on Tuesday night.
Daulton Varsho added a solo homer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had three singles for the Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game series which kicks off a six-game homestand.
The Cubs fall to 1-3 during their current six-game road trip.
Toronto scored once in the first against Javier Assad (0-1), who was making his first start of the season. Bo Bichette, Guerrero, and Alejandro singled in the first against Assad, who had been out all season with a strained left oblique.
Toronto had two hits but failed to score in the second. Ty France led off with a double off the right-field wall but was thrown out at home by left fielder Ian Happ when he tried to score on Andres Gimenez’s single. Gimenez returned from a sprained ankle on Tuesday.
Jose Berrios (9-4) needed 38 pitches to navigate the Cubs’ third and left the bases loaded when Carson Kelly took a called third strike. Varsho led off the home fourth with a single, Ty France was hit by a pitch and Clement hit a first-pitch hanger to left for his third homer in as many games and his ninth of the season.
Ben Brown replaced Assad, who allowed four runs, eight hits and one walk with two strikeouts in four innings.
Berrios was replaced by Mason Fluharty after Kelly’s one-out single in the sixth. Fluharty pitched around a wild pitch and a walk to strand two runners. Berrios finished with no runs allowed on two hits and four walks with three strikeouts.
The Cubs scored once against Tommy Nance in the seventh. Dansby Swanson walked and pinch-hitter Willi Castro and Michael Busch followed with consecutive singles. Brendon Little replaced Nance with one out. A walk loaded the bases with two out before Pete Crow-Armstrong struck out to end the inning.
Toronto’s Louis Varland pitched a perfect eighth with two strikeouts.
Varsho led off the home eighth with a homer to right against Brown.
Jeff Hoffman pitched a perfect ninth for Toronto.