Blue Jays’ Ernie Clement credits Maple Leafs for walk-off inspiration in Toronto

Ernie Clement took some inspiration from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

And with that inspiration came a walk-off hit for the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.

Clement delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the Tigers and snap the Blue Jays’ three-game skid.

It came less than 24 hours after the Maple Leafs won Game 6 over the Florida Panthers to force a Game 7 in the second round of the NHL playoffs.

Clement was watching.

“It’s great when you see a team like (the Leafs) do that, because that’s exactly where we want to be,” Clement told the Toronto Sun. “We were extremely disappointed in how last year went and the Leafs were very disappointed because they have a hump to get over.

“From watching the games and being a hockey fan, it feels a lot different with them. And they have a lot of fight in them too.”

ERNIE CLEMENT WINS IT! #Walkoff@BlueJays | #RivalryWeekend pic.twitter.com/yVSu2k4W1c

— MLB (@MLB) May 17, 2025MORE: Dodgers make key Shohei Ohtani pitching announcement

Clement was a hockey player at Brighton High School just east of Rochester, New York. He once totaled 52 points in a 20-game high school season.

Now, he’s a super-utility player in the big leagues who rarely strikes out and plays with a smile. He’s also one of the best pinch-hitters in MLB history.

And now, he’s provided Toronto with a cool crossover sports moment.

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