Ernie Clement’s first All-Star Game already had a signature moment, and it came with a little extra bite because of who was standing in the batter’s box.
On Tuesday night in Philadelphia, Clement turned in a defensive gem against Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages, ranging up the middle and finishing with a jumping throw to first to erase what looked like a sure base hit and end the fifth inning.
It would have been a slick play against anybody. Against Pages, it landed differently.
That’s because Pages was the player who took away Clement’s chance at World Series immortality last fall. In Game 7, Clement had a ball that looked like it was headed for a game-winning hit in the ninth inning, only for Pages to come out of nowhere and make the catch. The Dodgers went on to win two innings later in the 11th.
Clement didn’t hide the connection after his own web gem in the All-Star Game. He said the old memory flashed back immediately, adding: "Yeah, I was kind of pointing at him, just so he knows that I know that I kind of got him back. But I would have loved for it to be the other way around."
The stakes were obviously nowhere near the same on this stage, but the moment still carried a nice little edge. It was a clean reminder of how razor-thin that World Series really was, and how easily the whole thing could have swung the other way.
Both players have moved forward since that night. Pages, who also earned his first All-Star nod, has settled in as an important part of the Dodgers’ future after a rough playoff stretch at the plate. Clement, meanwhile, has followed up his record-breaking postseason with what may be his best season yet in the majors.
An October rematch between the Blue Jays and Dodgers looks unlikely given Toronto’s struggles in 2026, so this may have been the last time Clement and Pages share a field this year. If it was, Clement made sure to leave a mark.
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