TORONTO – If Monday night’s game is a preview of what’s ahead for the Blue Jays and Yankees, these two teams are in for an entertaining month – and a memorable summer.
In the first of seven games the Yankees will play at Rogers Centre over the next three and a half weeks, a sellout crowd watched as Max Scherzer held the Yankees in check, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. crushed a go-ahead single to cap a four-run rally and the Blue Jays got just enough out of their bullpen on the way to a 5-4 win.
Now 46-38, the Blue Jays are just two games behind the Yankees for the AL East lead ahead of Tuesday’s Canada Day festivities.
Even before first pitch Monday, there was far more energy in the building than you’d typically see in late June. Maybe it was because of Scherzer, who was animated even as he warmed up in the bullpen, pumping his fist after pitches he particularly liked, or because Aaron Judge and the Yankees were in town – and within striking distance.
Whatever the cause, even Guerrero Jr. appeared to feel the buzz, too, dancing in the batter’s box like Juan Soto after taking close pitches for balls against Yankees starter Carlos Rodon.
With Scherzer and Rodon both pitching well, the game stayed close early, but the Blue Jays finally rallied in the sixth thanks to singles from the unheralded Davis Schneider, Myles Straw, Jonatan Clase and Ernie Clement. That set up Guerrero Jr., who sent a line drive into left field at 115.7 m.p.h. to give the Blue Jays the lead for good.
Scherzer started the game in dominant fashion, retiring the first nine hitters he faced as the crowd of 40,619 cheered him on. But in the fourth inning, the Yankees got to him after a Trent Grisham leadoff single.
While Scherzer struck out Judge looking with a perfectly placed 95-m.p.h. fastball on the outside corner, Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered on the very next pitch, a slider that caught too much of the zone.
Then, in the fifth, Scherzer appeared to feel some physical discomfort. He could be seen stretching his right hand after a pitch to D.J. LeMahieu, prompting a mound visit from manager John Schneider and a team trainer.
Scherzer stayed in long enough to retire LeMahieu, but appeared to tell his manager “I think that’s it” as he returned to the dugout, and his night ended soon afterward.
Performance-wise, it was his best outing as a Blue Jay, as he struck out seven Yankees while allowing just two earned runs on three hits and averaging 93.6 m.p.h. with his fastball. Of course, questions about his physical status still linger. Blue Jays manager John Schneider said “the thumb was still kind of fatigued” after the game and said the team will continue to monitor Scherzer.
After Scherzer’s exit, the Blue Jays mixed and matched with Brendon Little, Braydon Fisher, Mason Fluharty and Chad Green before handing the ball over to closer Jeff Hoffman for the save.
Scherzer wasn’t the only Blue Jay dealing with physical issues Monday, as Bo Bichette was a late scratch and George Springer exited the game after hitting his windpipe area on Chisholm Jr.’s knee on a slide into third base in the sixth inning. After the collision, Springer appeared to be in significant discomfort as he disappeared down the tunnel toward the home clubhouse. But after the game, Schneider said Springer was OK.
While Bichette was initially slated to start at shortstop, right knee discomfort pushed him out of the starting lineup a couple hours before first pitch. It was the first day off of the year for Bichette, who played in each of the team’s first 83 games. After the game, Schneider said Bichette was hurt when he stepped on a ball, but added no further tests are planned.
Earlier in the afternoon, GM Ross Atkins revealed that Anthony Santander had a left shoulder subluxation when he crashed into the right-field wall in Anaheim eight weeks ago. Put simply, Santander’s shoulder popped in and out of his socket – and while he’s said to be improving, he’s still not swinging a bat.
The Blue Jays expect him back in July, maybe even before the all-star break, but the front office has been looking for upgrades elsewhere. According to Atkins, right-handed hitters are on the team’s radar as are starting pitchers and relievers.
In the meantime, the Blue Jays have a big win to celebrate – and lots more work still to come against their division rivals.
