TORONTO — Sunday afternoon at Rogers Centre, there was a distinct feeling of possibility around the Toronto Blue Jays.
In the course of a long baseball season, days where it all comes together are rare – even for good teams. But on a summery September day with the dome open and every seat full, the Blue Jays had themselves a day, sweeping the Orioles with an 11-2 win.
Prized trade deadline acquisition Shane Bieber allowed just one run over six innings, George Springer’s resurgent season continued with his 29th home run, and no one had to stress about the bullpen on a day the runs just kept coming. Adding to the sense of momentum around this team, top prospect Trey Yesavage arrived Sunday morning ahead of his MLB debut Monday against the Rays.
A couple weeks from now, the playoffs will begin and stress levels will ratchet up quickly. But for now, as the Blue Jays’ grasp on first place tightens a little with their 87th win of the season, it’s perhaps worth zooming out a little and appreciating the incredibly strong position this team has created for itself.
Pending the results of Sunday’s Red Sox-Yankees game, the Blue Jays will begin the penultimate week of the season ahead of New York by either 3.0 or 4.0 games while owning the tiebreaker against both AL East rivals.
Rarely have the vibes been quite this good over the course of the last decade. Then again, the record’s rarely been quite this good either. With a 7-6 finish or better, the Blue Jays would end the year with 94 wins, more than they’ve had in any season since 1993.
Bieber’s six innings were essential to this win, and the right-hander allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out five and lowering his season ERA to 3.72. This is exactly the kind of outing the Blue Jays envisioned when they acquired him from Cleveland at the trade deadline.
Thanks to Springer, the Blue Jays had another big offensive day, too. Not only did the 35-year-old homer to lead off the fifth inning, he doubled twice as his season batting average climbed to .303 and his OPS went up to .949.
Beyond Springer, there were contributors up and down the lineup with a three-hit day from Alejandro Kirk and three driven in by both Ernie Clement and Addison Barger. Only three MLB teams have outscored the Blue Jays this season, and even with Bo Bichette and Anthony Santander on the injured list they’re capable of causing real problems for opposing pitchers.
Better still, the Blue Jays have been able to avoid relying too heavily on their high-leverage relievers in recent days. Kevin Gausman’s complete game Thursday helped, as did Sunday’s blowout. As a result, closer Jeff Hoffman had four consecutive days without game action – a rarity this time of year, and a welcome change of pace.
Next up, the final road trip of the season, starting with a chance for Yesavage to make his MLB debut against the Rays. By the time the Blue Jays return home in eight days, they hope to have clinched a playoff berth and made further strides in their quest for a first-round bye.
