The Blue Jays didn’t need much offense on this one. One run was enough, because Shane Bieber and the bullpen turned the rest into a shutout and Toronto edged the White Sox 1-0.
The only scoring came in the fourth inning, and it started with Vladimir Guerrero. He doubled off the center wall, coming just a couple of feet shy of a home run, and George Springer brought him home with a single in the next at-bat. After that, the inning went quiet fast: Kazuma Okamoto struck out and Daulton Varsho grounded out, and Toronto never added on.
That was the story of the night at the plate. The Jays finished with five hits and three walks, and they went 1 for 4 with runners in scoring position. Guerrero accounted for two of those four hits.
Bieber gave Toronto exactly what it needed. He worked six innings, allowed three hits and two walks, and struck out six. It was easily his best start of the season, and it looked like the kind of outing that could signal he’s starting to find his rhythm.
The bullpen kept the edge intact from there. Jeff Hoffman handled the seventh, though he opened the inning with a walk that had to make things a little uncomfortable. He settled in with two strikeouts and a ground out, helped along by a nice play from Ernie Clement.
Tyler Rogers took the eighth and had to work through a bunt single by Chase Meidroth, who laid down a very nice one. But Toronto answered with a caught stealing on a great throw from Kirk, then a strikeout and a fly out to end the frame.
Louis Varland closed it out in the ninth with a ground out, strikeout and fly out. That gave him save No. 20, while Hoffman picked up hold No. 11 and Rogers earned hold No.
- Bieber got win No.
The Jays of the Day went to Bieber, Varland, Rogers and Hoffman, and Guerrero got one too for going 2 for 4. On the other side of the ledger, Clement, Nathan Lukes and Okamoto all finished at 0 for 4, with Clement drawing the note for chasing everything, Lukes striking out twice, and Okamoto punching out twice as well.
Toronto now gets an early one on the schedule, with a 12:00 Eastern start tomorrow. Sean Burke, who is 6-4 with a 3.41 ERA, will face Trey Yesavage, who is 4-4 with a 3.72 ERA.
The game also featured the unveiling of the Joe Carter statue, which the source said was not especially loved, but still a clear upgrade over the “stupid Ed Rogers statue.” Several members of the 1992 and 1993 World Series teams were there too, and it was a good chance to see those guys again. They’re getting up there in age, but any excuse to see them is a good one.
In Other News...
Blue Jays Suddenly Linked To The Kind Of Deadline Swing Fans Fear
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For Toronto, the appeal is obvious: if the club is going to make a bold push, it would be for a name that changes the conversation around the lineup and the infield. But this is also the kind of deal that forces real sacrifice, and the Blue Jays would have to decide how far they are willing to go to chase a star while keeping the rest of the roster intact. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Bichette Just Added More Intrigue To Blue Jays Deadline Buzz
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For the Blue Jays, it is the kind of name that naturally pulls attention back home, even without anything close to a resolution. Bichettes future is still unsettled, the Mets have not made any definitive move, and teams weighing a run at him are left to judge both the money and the uncertainty that come with it. [Read more 🡒]
Blue Jays Face A Deadline Decision That Could Push Out A Fan Favorite
With the trade deadline closing in, the Blue Jays are in that awkward middle ground where the standings do not point cleanly toward a push or a teardown. At 46-53, Toronto has roster questions everywhere, and the next few weeks could determine whether the front office leans into the present, starts thinking more about next year, or settles somewhere in between.
Davis Schneider is one of the more interesting pieces caught in the squeeze. The versatile player who made such a memorable debut in 2023 has struggled badly at the plate this season, and with regular roles already spoken for by Daulton Varsho, George Springer and Andres Gimenez, there are fewer easy paths to steady at-bats. Add in the possibility of injured players returning and deadline moves changing the mix, and Schneiders place on the roster suddenly feels a lot less secure than it did not long ago. [Read more 🡒]