The best version of the Blue Jays showed up against the Yankees on Thursday
2 days ago
Coming out of a consecutive series sweep and an odd series with a weather-related suspension wasn’t the momentum the Toronto Blue Jays sought. Their only saving grace was a 9-4 win against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night after a frustrating loss on Monday. By the time the Blue Jays arrived in Toronto, they had to face the grim reality of playing against the dominant New York Yankees four days in a row.
Facing the Yankees would be a tall order as soon as New York began establishing its division lead from the jump. The Yankees’ lineup contributed to steady offensive outputs on the back of star outfielders Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. New York’s starting rotation and relief pitching core also successfully prevented runs to support the offence. All this synergy is how the Yankees rank second in team hitting and fourth in team pitching, according to MLB.
On the other hand, things were going south for the Blue Jays. Just about everything that could go wrong went wrong. The offensive power and consistency never quite returned. Toronto’s starting rotation mainly performed well, but frequent defensive errors and relief pitching meltdowns resulted in more bitter losses than the team would have liked. That’s how Toronto sunk to the bottom of the division and played itself practically out of contention as their playoff odds shrunk.
The core group of players they trusted weren’t performing splendidly as a unit. Out of star players in Toronto, only first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. yielded stellar results, and the rest slumped through the first half of the season. The ongoing offensive decline in Toronto was evident, especially in George Springer. Springer’s batting average barely hovered the Mendoza line and hadn’t produced any hits or runs for multiple games. Despite Springer’s miserable performance, manager John Schneider maintained his belief in Springer’s rebound by saying he is “a couple of days away from getting hot.”
Schneider seemed irrational at best when he supported Springer because the Blue Jays got swept once again by the Cleveland Guardians in a three-game series while losing one more game to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Monday. No matter how discouraging everything looked before and after the seven-game losing streak, Schneider couldn’t do much other than trust his team and stand up for his players. After all, what choice does he have when he has to lead the team through all the peaks and valleys?
Heading into a four-game series against the mighty Yankees, Schneider needed his Blue Jays to defy the odds and do the impossible: carrying on the winning momentum at Rogers Centre. And boy, what a game that was. Schneider’s wishes came true just like that.
All it took was good pitch selections and a little luck to turn things around. Essentially, the Blue Jays didn’t waste time wreaking havoc on the Yankees early on. Toronto’s lineup didn’t show mercy to New York’s struggling starting pitcher, Carlos Rodón, and took advantage of his lack of command from the outset. At the bottom of the first inning, shortstop Bo Bichette singled, second baseman Isaiah Kiner-Falefa got hit by a pitch, and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove Bichette in with a double. Designated hitter Justin Turner recorded possibly one of the weakest singles in baseball history but helped the Blue Jays score one more run by bringing Kiner-Falefa.
With Guerrero Jr. on third base and Turner on first base, centre fielder George Springer came to the plate to face Rodón. Given his lacklustre offensive record this season, no one expected Springer to do much or score runs. Just when Springer got into a one-ball and two-strike count, Rodón threw him a fastball right at the heart of the plate. He leaned into that fastball to drive in three runs and helped the Blue Jays boost their lead to five runs.
When Springer approached the plate again during the bottom of the second inning, he was in a similar situation once again. This time, Kiner-Falefa and Turner were on base, and Springer was at a one-ball and no-strike count. Rodón hoped to get out of the jam by throwing him a heater right in the middle of the plate to generate a swing and a miss. Unfortunately for him, Springer squared up his fastball and sent it all the way to the West Jet Flight Deck. With that towering three-run home run, Toronto was now up by eight runs against the Yankees.
In a stretch where faith in Springer largely tapered off, Schneider and the Blue Jays never wavered when it came to Springer’s abilities. In their defence, he has had a solid record throughout his career in the majors, and it was only a matter of time before he found himself again. And Springer handsomely rewarded those who believed in him by bringing back his power on Thursday.
Right after the Yankees cut the Blue Jays’ lead to six runs with a two-run home run, Guerrero Jr. came to the rescue by belting out a home run to left field at the bottom of the sixth in a three-two count. Technically, Guerrero Jr. had earned his walk, but when the home plate umpire didn’t award him his first base, he decided to blast a home run since he could score himself. Toronto now led the game with a 9-2 lead, and that score wouldn’t change one bit, even in the top of the ninth.
This version of the Blue Jays was the one that was supposed to show up more often. The Blue Jays were designed to blast several home runs and frustrate every opposing hitter with swing-and-a-miss factors. Except those Blue Jays didn’t come to life until the very end of June. Perhaps it’s too late to start something exhilarating and hopeful for the Blue Jays as more and more baseball insiders demand the team to become the star seller by the deadline.
As ludicrous as it sounds, there is still a way for the Blue Jays to make it to the playoffs. So long as the team creates a long enough winning streak and continues to score more consistently while successfully suppressing runs, they could easily shoot for the last Wild Card spot. The only problem is that much of this plan depends on other contenders’ fortunes. At this stage, hoping for the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, Kansas City Royals, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, and Tampa Bay Rays’ collective downfall is almost, barring catastrophic collapses.
Nevertheless, if there is any takeaway from the first game of this four-game series, it’s the fact that the pressure is no longer on Toronto. As the Blue Jays hit rock bottom, they have gained more space to experiment and play with less burden on their shoulders. The pressure is squarely on the New York Yankees as they battle for the division lead alongside the Baltimore Orioles. With a three-game losing streak, the Yankees have given up the division lead to the Orioles as of Thursday – they now have to fight back to regain their dominance, and it won’t be an easy battle at all.
Toronto’s job now is to make the Yankees lives a little harder than it should be. The Yankees have a 10-13 record against American League East opponents this season, and adding more to the Yankees’ loss column will indeed spoil their best-laid plans. That said, the series has only just begun and the offensive powerhouse version of the Blue Jays has to turn up every game to sustain any positive momentum.
The best version of the Blue Jays should have always been here all along. But at least they are showing up now – that’s what counts in the end.
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