TORONTO — Here’s a fun stat. The Toronto Blue Jays entered Saturday’s game with an MLB-best 44 comeback wins this season. That was tied for the franchise record with the 1993 Blue Jays, a club that, of course, captured the World Series.
Well, the 2025 team can now claim the title of comeback kings as they reached a new mark with a thrilling 5-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday in front of 42,461 at Rogers Centre.
Alejandro Kirk hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to secure the walk-off after the Blue Jays plated three runs in the ninth inning.
Prior to those heroics, Orioles’ pitchers had essentially lulled the stadium to sleep.
The Blue Jays offence had no answer for Orioles’ right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, who allowed just four hits — one of which was Addison Barger’s 20th homer of the season — and induced two double plays over his six innings.
The Blue Jays threatened in the seventh inning when right-hander Rico Garcia entered in relief for Sugano, putting runners on first and second with none out. However, Davis Schneider promptly grounded into a double play and Daulton Varsho struck out to end the frame.
Trailing 3-1 in the eighth, Kirk broke an 0-for-19 skid with a pinch-hit single that cut the deficit, however, Orioles reliever Keegan Akin got Isiah Kiner-Falefa to ground out weakly to first base to end the inning.
Braydon Fisher surrendered a solo homer to Coby Mayo in the ninth inning and it looked like a comeback wasn’t going to be possible.
However, Varsho singled on a bunt and advanced to second on a throwing error by Akin before Ernie Clement lashed a single to left field. Joey Loperfido’s single to right plated one run and Andres Gimenez tied the game with his own single.
Max Scherzer started for the Blue Jays and, after a rough first inning, settled down nicely to retire 15 of the next 18 batters he faced.
In total, the right-hander allowed just the two runs on four hits over five innings, walking two and striking out five. He tossed 91 pitches (64 strikes) and featured a fastball that topped out at 95.2 m.p.h. and averaged 93.9 m.p.h.
If the Blue Jays’ starting pitchers stay on turn, Scherzer will have two more regular-season starts, which figure to factor into where the 41-year-old fits into the playoff rotation.
