THE BRONX — Blue Jays manager John Schneider rolled the dice in the American League Division Series against New York and then pulled all the right strings.
Unproven rookie Trey Yesavage made the roster ahead of veterans Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer. Eight relievers threw the game in the Game 4 winning run. And Nathan Lux returned to the lineup for Wednesday night's decider and scored a key shot from two rounds in a 5-2 win.
Unlike his last two postseason appearances, everything Schneider did seemed to work. This time the Blue Jays offense was in great shape and the pitchers were up to the task.
“I think it just shows how he feels about the game,” Blue Jays left-hander Eric Lauer said. “And that’s something that can’t be quantified in baseball.”
Toronto set the tone for the ALDS against its East Division rival early on and took advantage of its opportunities.
Game 1 starter Kevin Gausman was ready and the bats went through. Yesavage dominated Game 2 as Toronto reached double figures again.
New York staged a five-run comeback to win Game 3, but the Yankees showed no signs of life in Game 4. The Yankee Stadium crowd, delirious after superstar Aaron Judge's performance on Tuesday night, was fairly subdued the next night.
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The Blue Jays scored early and prevented the Yankees from breaking through. Many of Toronto's big names performed well and their teammates stepped up when needed.
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Ernie Clement hit a stunning .643 in the series. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. posted an intimidating OPS of 1.609. Dalton Varsho went 0-for-4 on Wednesday and still had a .438 batting average and 1.471 OPS in the series.
And then there's Yesavage, who followed Gausman with 5 1/3 no-hit innings and 11 strikeouts.
Toronto's AL Championship Series opponent, Detroit or Seattle, will have cause for concern.
“There's an incredible cast of characters who can keep the group balanced or stimulate it if you need to,” Schneider said. “Most, if not all, of the credit goes to the players.”
Now the Blue Jays can turn to a familiar scheme.
They earned a break before the ALDS by winning the division title while New York had to play a full three-game series against Boston. The Mariners and Tigers will also compete in other ALDS contests, with Game 5 set for Friday night.
In the meantime, the Blue Jays get valuable rest time and can reset their rotation before playing their first two games at Rogers Center.
Schneider said it was a welcome break after a “very emotional and hard-fought” four games against New York.
“It’s nice to take a deep breath,” he said. “It’s really nice to come home and know we’re playing at home and it’s nice to figure out what we think is the best way to try to beat whoever we’re going to play.”
Big decisions await ahead of the ALCS roster announcement, which will likely take place Sunday morning.
Scherzer and Bassitt could return for the best-of-seven series. Star shortstop Bo Bichette could also be on the list given recent progress in his recovery from a knee sprain.
The Blue Jays have won seven of eight games and have home field advantage in at least one more round. Toronto is the best team in the league and they play like it.
The Blue Jays haven't been to the World Series since winning it in 1993 for the second year in a row.
Four more wins would take them back to the Fall Classic.
“Honestly, I think we're capable of winning it all,” Lauer said. “I think once we get on the field and we have a game plan in place, I don’t think there’s anyone that can beat us.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
