Welcome back to the lineup, Vladdy! 🎥 Sportsnet | #Bluejays
Instant Reaction: Nathan Lukes two-run blast in the 11th inning powers Blue Jays in win over Phillies
Photo credit: © Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Aug 9, 2026, 08:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 9, 2026, 12:43 EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays just keep winning.
On Saturday, they managed to win another series thanks to a 7-5 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in extra innings. Let’s take a look at what went on in this one!
The Blue Jays got on the board before the Phillies even got a chance to bat. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. returned to the lineup after a three-game absence and was batting third. He managed to get into a hitters count, then hit an inside fastball out of the park for his seventh long-ball of the season.
When he returned to the plate in the top of the third, Myles Staw and Nathan Lukes were already on base thanks to a walk and single respectively. While he didn’t hit a home run, Guerrero Jr. drove in Straw to give the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead.
Vladdy with an RBI single to make it 2-0! 🎥 Sportsnet | #Bluejays
Max Scherzer made the start for the Blue Jays and he managed to pitch five scoreless innings, even managing to match Walter Johnson for the 10th-most strikeouts in a career thanks to a fifth-inning strikeout. He took sole possession of the spot with a strikeout to lead-off the bottom of the sixth, but then he ran into some trouble.
Max Scherzer has entered the top 10 in career strikeouts! 🎥 Sportsnet | #Bluejays
Unfortunately, he didn’t depart the game with a chance for the win, as he gave up back-to-back solo home runs to Trea Turner and Bryce Harper to make it 2-2. Spencer Miles was the first pitcher out of the bullpen, and he proceeded to give up two more runs to put the Phillies up 4-2.
Down to just five outs, the Phillies walked back-to-back batters with one out in the top of the eighth. Ernie Clement flew out for the second out of the inning, but Andrés Giménez drove in both runners with his 18th double of the season to tie the game.
Gimenez lines one in the gap and we are tied! 🎥 Sportsnet | #Bluejays
Giménez drove in another run in the top of the 10th, but the Phillies answered with an unearned run off Louis Varland in the bottom half of the inning. Down to two outs in the top of the 11, Nathan Lukes hit a two-run home run, his sixth of the season, to put the Jays up 7-5.
Nathan Lukes 2-run homer! The @BlueJays lead in the 11th!
Lázaro Estrada entered the game in the bottom of the 11th, getting two fly outs and a strikeout for his first career save.
Takeaways…
Even with the win, the Blue Jays sit three and a half games behind the Texas Rangers, who hold the final wild card spot. The good news is that they gained a game on four teams ahead of them, as the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Guardians, Baltimore Orioles, and Seattle Mariners all lost.
Right now, the Jays are in the midst of one of the toughest stretches of their season. After the Phillies, they’ll play four against the Boston Red Sox, three against the New York Yankees, three against the Tampa Bay Rays, and another three against the Yankees.
After that, they’ll play three against the Mariners, Guardians, Tigers, and Rangers, as well as six against the Orioles. Mixed in with those series are one against each the Athletics and Cincinnati Reds and six games against the Kansas City Royals. This is doable.
Max Scherzer took sole possession of the 10th-most strikeouts in a big league career with his fourth of the game, giving him 3,516 in his career. He’s still in striking range of two players this season, Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry (3,534) and future Hall of Famer and former teammate Justin Verlander (3,554). Verlander is still active, so it may take Scherzer playing another season to surpass Verlander, who announced his intentions to retire following the 2026 season.
Lázaro Estrada picked up his first career save, striking out a batter in the bottom of the 11th. He pitched well, but with so many games with an off-day, this bullpen is exhausted. Their starters need to go deep into games from here on out.
It’s nice to see Vladimir Guerrero Jr. back in the lineup, especially after the first baseman hit his seventh home run of the season. All seven have come on the road, but hopefully this is a sign that he’s going to start to get going. The Jays really need him to get hot if they want a shot to make the playoffs.
On top of driving in the game-winning run thanks to a two-run homer, Nathan Lukes also singled twice to go 3-6 in the game. Andrés Giménez drove in three runs, including a two RBI double to tie the game. Ernie Clement had a two-hit game as well.
It’s been a hot minute since the Blue Jays have swept a series, but they’ll have a chance to do so on Sunday afternoon. The series finale has a 1:35 PM ET start time, and Shane Bieber is set to get the ball.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, Oilersnation, and FlamesNation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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