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 visitors in check, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. crushed a go-ahead single to cap off a four-run rally and the Blue Jays got just enough out of their bullpen on the way to a 5-4 win.
“It’s a great victory,” Guerrero Jr. said through interpreter Hector Lebron. “We all did our part.”
Now 46-38, the Blue Jays are just 2.0 games behind the Yankees for the AL East lead ahead of Tuesday’s Canada Day festivities.
Afterwards, Scherzer was impressed by the complete team effort.
“That’s what you play for,” he said. “It’s awesome to play team ball. Those little things that add up are the reason we’re a great team.”
Blue Jays vs. Yankees on Canada Day
The Blue Jays host the Yankees on Canada Day in a pivotal clash between division rivals. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. ET / noon PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
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Even before first pitch, 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.
"It felt like a very meaningful baseball game," said manager John Schneider. "Today's atmosphere was pretty damn cool."
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.
“I don’t (carry) all the weight,” Guerrero Jr. said. “I’m part of the team, but everybody’s been doing their job, helping each other and trusting each other.”
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 on the 10th pitch of the at-bat with a perfectly placed 95 m.p.h. fastball on the outside corner, Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered on the very next offering, a slider that caught too much of the zone.
Then, in the fifth, Scherzer felt his thumb get tired. He could be seen stretching his right hand after a pitch to D.J. LeMahieu, prompting a mound visit from Schneider and a team trainer.
“I could really tell the fatigue was starting to set in there,” Scherzer said. “The thumb was an issue and it was starting to leak into the forearm. I could feel tightness in the forearm, so that’s why I called (Alejandro Kirk) out to try to give it a minute.”
Scherzer stayed in long enough to retire LeMahieu, but his night ended soon afterwards.
“I knew I was done,” Scherzer said. “I’d reached my limit. It’s frustrating. I’m still dealing with this, still managing it. Hopefully I come back and recover well.”
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.
“He came out hot,” Schneider said. “I mean, he was dealing.”
From here, the Blue Jays will monitor Scherzer's thumb with the hopes that he can make his next scheduled start against the Angels Saturday.
After Scherzer's exit, the Blue Jays mixed and matched with Brendon Little, Braydon Fisher, Mason Fluharty and Chad Green before turning to closer Jeff Hoffman for the save.
Scherzer wasn’t the only Blue Jay dealing with physical issues, as Bo Bichette was a late scratch and George Springer exited the game after hitting his throat on Chisholm Jr.’s knee on a slide into third in the sixth. After the collision, Springer appeared to be in significant discomfort as he disappeared down the tunnel toward the home clubhouse.
Thankfully, he caught his breath and felt better by the end of the night.
"He's fine," Schneider said. "He should be good to go (Tuesday)."
While Bichette was initially slated to start at shortstop, he stepped on a baseball while making a defensive play during batting practice, leading to 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's considered day to day.
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 to come against their division rivals.
“I always want to play against the best,” Scherzer said. “If you're going to win it all, you’ve gotta beat the best … this was an opportunity for us to do that. Good win, but a long series ahead.”
