The Toronto Blue Jays keep finding ways to win games that don’t look winnable on paper, and Saturday’s 4-1 result over the Yankees fit the pattern perfectly.
Toronto went into the matchup without George Springer, Ernie Clement or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the starting lineup, then asked a tired bullpen to help cover all nine innings against Cam Schlittler, who was described as arguably the best starter in the American League. None of that stopped the Jays from extending their surge to 12 wins in their last 17 games.
Rookie Charles McAdoo drove the whole thing with two run-scoring hits, including a double off the top of the wall that broke a 1-1 tie. Brett Bateman also had two hits, and the pair of speedy rookies have brought some life to a club that has spent much of the season trying to shake itself loose.
Manager John Schneider said the group has started to look like the version of the team it has been searching for.
“You can’t force a team to be like a team last year,” Schneider said. “I think with some new guys, with some things to prove, has kind of rubbed off on everyone else that has been here. This is the kind of brand of baseball we’ve been searching for.”
Toronto’s path back into the picture has been messy, but effective. The Jays pushed and prodded all season, making early moves for Patrick Corbin and Lenyn Sosa, changing the closer role and promoting prospects from Triple A.
For a long stretch, nothing seemed to stick. Now, suddenly, the pieces are starting to connect.
That includes McAdoo and Bateman, who have been rewarded with more playing time. It also includes Ricky Tiedemann, who was promoted years after his prospect star burned bright and logged five outs in Toronto’s bullpen game. And it includes Simeon Woods Richardson, who came in with a 5.95 expected ERA and delivered 2 1/3 scoreless innings against the Yankees.
The pitching has carried the surge, even if the underlying numbers suggest this kind of run won’t last forever. Toronto has posted a 2.88 ERA in August, a mark that would be tough for any staff to sustain.
The offence has been more about contact and speed than power, and the Jays aren’t exactly suddenly scoring in bunches. But at this stage of the season, the standings matter more than the projection models.
The win also moved Toronto into postseason position for the first time since June 24.
“We battled,” Schneider said. “They battled their asses off. That’s exactly what we’re asking them to do.”
The Jays’ current push has a familiar feel around the league. Schneider pointed to recent late-season charges by the Cleveland Guardians, who made up 10 1/2 games in September last year to win the AL Central, and the Detroit Tigers, who sold at the deadline in 2024 and still reached the playoffs.
Toronto entered the deadline six games under .500, which left little room for ordinary baseball. The club needed something improbable, and for the moment that’s exactly what it has found.
“We’re kind of embracing what we’re good at right now,” Schneider said. “Sometimes it doesn’t look the sexiest, but we’re OK with that.”
There was also another important note around the clubhouse before the game. Trey Yesavage, who underwent meniscus repair surgery Monday, returned to the room hours before first pitch. The 23-year-old is considered week-to-week, but he said he still wants to pitch again in 2026.
“I’m planning on pitching again wherever the team needs me,” Yesavage said. “Hopefully we’re in a playoff push.”
Yesavage said the procedure was quick and minimally invasive, and he’s already able to walk. He has also begun throwing from a knee or with his leg resting on a chair so he can keep his arm moving before he is able to throw while standing again. He said the rehab timeline for a meniscus surgery varies from person to person, so there is no exact schedule for his return.
If Toronto were to fall out of the race, there would be no reason to rush him back. But with the Jays surging into contention, Yesavage said the team’s position gives him extra motivation.
“It keeps me hungry knowing that we have an opportunity in October to play playoff baseball,” Yesavage said. “Just keeps me going.”
Saturday also brought more uncertainty for the lineup. Guerrero was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list after taking a knee to the head in Friday’s game, his first trip to the IL in eight big-league seasons.
Schneider said tests on Friday night and Saturday morning “checked enough boxes for an IL stint.” Guerrero had a headache during Friday’s game and “felt a little bit worse” Saturday morning.
“League-mandated concussion protocol,” Schneider said. “He didn’t push back.”
With Guerrero out, Kazuma Okamoto and McAdoo are the players on the current roster with the most first-base experience. McAdoo handled the job in the first game without Toronto’s franchise first baseman and summed up his approach simply:
“I have a job to do, and I’m going to help the team win as best I can.”
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