'Ern Dog' dominates O's, gives Blue Jays fans plenty more to bark about

TORONTO -- Ernie Clement has the city barking.

That’s his thing. They call him the “Ern Dog,” and all the man has done lately is hit. In a season that still feels stuck in the mud, Clement has been the buzzing engine, the constant source of life so stubbornly trying to drag this team out.

Saturday’s three-run homer in a 6-4 win over Baltimore was Clement’s sixth of the season, a game-changing swing that already puts him halfway to his career high of 12 (2024). He leads the American League in hits (76) and doubles (19), too, all while showing up to the ballpark each day with the demeanor of a 30-year-old who’s just excited to hang out with the fellas. Then, the game starts.

“You’ve got to be locked in every day,” Clement said. “If you’re not, that ball finds you. I try to be ready to play every single day. These games happen, but it definitely goes the other way, too. You’ve just got to ride the wave.”

That Clement’s story happened at all is spectacular enough, but the fact he’s kept this going? That’s the bigger story here.

When Clement broke out with some flashes in 2023 and was thrust into a full-time role in ‘24, it was a feel-good story full of all the old narrative tropes, the scrappy castoff who found a new home and became a fan favorite as the everyman. Just sustaining that would have been a tremendous accomplishment, but Clement is growing and changing, becoming exactly who the Blue Jays need on any given night.

“He’s adjusting to what the league’s doing. Everyone knows he’s aggressive,” manager John Schneider said. “With a guy like him, I’m sure pitchers are trying to get out of the zone, but they still make mistakes and he’s capitalizing. A really good all-around game from him today, both sides of the ball. His at-bats, he’s dictating them, if that makes sense.”

Frankly, if this team had any sort of momentum, we’d be talking about Clement constantly, especially with fan voting now open for the 2026 All-Star Game in Philadelphia. His defense is coming back around, too, after an uncharacteristic start in the field.

He flashed that great range Saturday in the third inning, ranging well into the outfield on an Adley Rutschman ground ball, spinning and firing to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first for the out. Later, he made a diving catch and throw to get Pete Alonso in the eighth, stifling what could have been a late O’s rally.

“That’s something I’ve been working at. Some bounces haven’t gone my way this year on the defensive end, but I take a lot of pride in picking our pitchers up on the slim chance they give up some hard contact,” Clement said. “I just want to help them as much as I can. I was able to do that today, which feels really good.”

Clement’s “thing” had always been his defensive versatility, his raw athleticism allowing him to do everything on the diamond well. If his offensive game has really taken another step forward, though, and his defense is settling back in? This is a new level of Clement.

He’s no secret to the league now, either, which makes this more impressive. When you set the all-time Major League record for hits in a single postseason (30) and play on a team that takes the Dodgers to extra innings in Game 7 of the World Series, your name tends to get around.

This is the point in a player’s career -- whether they’re a top prospect or a late bloomer who’s enjoyed a couple of solid seasons -- when the adjustment game typically bites back. How do you adjust around Clement’s approach, though? The ball could be in the dirt or at Clement’s eyeballs, but it doesn’t matter. He’ll get a bat on it anyways. When pitches are in the zone, Clement makes contact on 91.9% of his swings, which is the 15th-best rate among all qualified hitters.

He’s a contact machine who is suddenly doing a bit more with that contact.

“I’m pulling the ball a ton. I’m looking for pitches I can pull and do some damage on,” Clement said. “I don’t hit a lot of homers or doubles in the middle of the field. I don’t know if I have the juice for that, so I’ve got to find a way to do that. My extra-base hits come in left field. I’m pretty aware of that.”

That’s Clement’s superpower. He knows exactly who he is, and the fullest version of Clement might just be the most important hitter on this roster right now.