TORONTO -- Doesn’t this team feel different than it did when you woke up this morning?
There’s something about watching Vladimir Guerrero Jr. finally hit a home run out of Rogers Centre that can tempt you into believing again. The 8-1 victory to win the series over the Orioles doesn’t hurt, either.
“This feels great, but right now it’s about winning and the team,” Guerrero said through interpreter Hector LeBron. “That’s my focus right now, just trying to win some games. I’m very proud of my team that we were able to win this game against a good team like Baltimore.”
This is what mattered most from a crucial day at the ballpark for the Blue Jays:
1. AL Wild Card picture
The Guardians’ victory over the Twins on Sunday leaves the Blue Jays right where they began the day: one game back of the final American League Wild Card spot. Toronto owns the tiebreaker over Cleveland after winning its season series, though, so the Blue Jays only need to tie the Guardians over the final 12 games of the season.
The other key movement of the day is the Orioles sliding three games behind the Blue Jays in the AL Wild Card standings. A loss today would have drawn them within one game with another three-game series waiting next week in Baltimore (Sept. 21-23), leaving an awfully dangerous door cracked open. The Orioles are still a threat, along with the Rangers, but the Blue Jays have much more control over their own destiny after holding off the O’s.
One other wrinkle to track: The AL Central is getting tight at the top, with the Guardians a 1/2 game behind the White Sox. If that flips, and the White Sox end up as the third Wild Card team, the Blue Jays do not hold that tiebreaker if they’re stuck trying to chase Chicago down.
2. Back to back to back
The first runs of the game from each team felt a bit cheap, a flared base hit into the shallow outfield on either side of the diamond. In the fifth inning, however, the Blue Jays decided to do away with that and set up a launching pad.
After George Springer gave them the lead with his 15th home run of the season to right field, Vladdy launched his game-changing home run, followed by Kazuma Okamoto, who sent a no-doubter to left. Okamoto already holds the growing record for most home runs by a rookie in franchise history, but with his home run on Sunday, he also set the new rookie RBI record with 85, passing Eric Hinske, who had 84 RBIs in 2002.
“He’s got tons of power, now the RBI record for a rookie,” manager John Schneider said. “When there’s a lefty and a good matchup, he’s going to be right in the middle of it.”
It’s been 14 years since the Blue Jays last hit three consecutive home runs. You’d have to go all the way back to June 9, 2012, against the Brewers, when Colby Rasmus, José Bautista and Edwin Encarnación pulled it off.
3. Help is on the way?
Early Sunday, around 11 a.m. local time, Trey Yesavage bounced out of the Blue Jays’ dugout in full uniform and walked into left field. After warming up, he continued to the bullpen where he threw in front of the Blue Jays’ pitching coaches, perhaps the final step before he gets into a rehab game later this coming week.
After throwing, Yesavage went to the infield and ran through some fielding drills, which is crucial. Yesavage underwent surgery in early August to repair the meniscus in his left knee, and while throwing off a mound is one hurdle to clear, moving around on the field could be an even bigger one. How Yesavage recovers tomorrow will be key, but the eye test checked out. Yesavage looked like himself.
Let’s dream on the perfect outcome. If Yesavage pitches later this week, likely with Triple-A Buffalo, he could return as soon as next week’s series (Sept. 21-23) against the Orioles in Baltimore. Whether it’s late in that series or in the final set of the season against the Reds at home (Sept. 25-27), Yesavage could potentially give the Blue Jays 3-4 innings by then.
After the win, the Blue Jays shared that Yesavage would pitch this Tuesday with Triple-A Buffalo, which could line him up to return to the Major League club on Sunday, at the end of their series in Arlington, Texas, against the Rangers, or next Monday as they begin their series against the Orioles in Baltimore.