TORONTO -- Things are getting awfully interesting north of the border.
The Blue Jays, who spent much of this season growing stale on the outer edges of the postseason picture, suddenly have as much momentum as any team in the American League Wild Card race. Friday night’s 3-1 win over the Yankees puts Toronto (60-64) just one game back of the final postseason spot with 38 games remaining.
This is what mattered most:
1. Holding their breath: Guerrero injured
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left the game soon after scoring the Blue Jays’ first run in the sixth, a messy play during which he collided with George Lombard Jr. at third base before scoring on the error.
Even with a .693 OPS next to his name, Guerrero is still the player the Blue Jays can least afford to lose because of the upside he still represents. We’re also just three days away from the one-year anniversary of the last time Guerrero hit a regular-season home run at Rogers Centre.
Everyone has a theory, because of course they do. The Blue Jays are stuck on the doorstep of the AL Wild Card race, but if Guerrero were playing anything like he’s capable of, they’d already be sitting comfortably in one of those spots. What else do you expect people to talk about?
“People are always trying to have the right answer,” manager John Schneider said. “All of the things that are out there, some of them are probably close to being right and some of them probably aren’t. There are a lot of theories out there. I think the person who knows his swing the best is Vlad.”
2. Madness on the bases!
The Blue Jays have made a habit of staring their opponents down this week and not blinking first. The Red Sox made a handful of crucial errors that flipped games in that four-game series, and Friday night, it was the Yankees’ turn. If the Blue Jays’ offense is going to leave them stuck in low-scoring games, this is the type of airtight baseball they need to be playing.
What looked like an inning-ending double play off the bat of George Springer quickly went wild when the throw to first skipped in front of Luis García Jr., who couldn’t make the scoop. That sent Guerrero racing from second to third -- the play during which he was injured -- and eventually scampering home.
Some better bounces have been finding the Blue Jays lately, but this one came with the sting of losing Guerrero.
“You don’t really see a fielder throw the ball across the field with no glove on,” Schneider said. “It’s an uncomfortable feeling. I’ve been there as a catcher. I’d rather it be a little bit cleaner and not have Vlad take a knee to the head.”
By the time Alejandro Kirk doubled in the go-ahead run, that felt like a footnote on the inning. This feels like the blueprint for the Blue Jays, finding any way to win, regardless of whether it’s beautiful or not.
3. Bieber and the Blue Jays look refreshed
For weeks leading up to the Trade Deadline, Shane Bieber was an obvious trade candidate, given that he was a pending free agent on a disappointing team. The Blue Jays chose to hold onto Bieber, though, and even though he was coming off a rough outing against the Phillies on Sunday, this looked like Bieber at his best with six innings of one-run ball.
“This feels great. We’re just excited to get to the ball yard every day,” Bieber said. “We have tried our best throughout the season to curate that mindset. Sometimes, that’s been easier said than done, but honestly, credit to this group for continuing to trudge forward. Now, we find ourselves playing some better baseball. We’re meeting that standard we want to hold ourselves to. It’s awesome.”
Good pitching, clean defense and a scrappy run at the right time. If the Blue Jays can find an identity coming out of their busy Trade Deadline, this is it.
“I felt like we were a little bit stagnant, kind of waiting for someone to do something,” Schneider said. “I do think that it’s removed us from 2025 a little bit, just because of the different people in the building. Every team is different. You can’t force a team to be like the team last year. With some new guys who have some things to prove, that’s rubbed off on everyone who has been here. This is the brand of baseball we’ve been searching for.”