On the Cusp Of Playoffs, Blue Jays Fall Flat vs Yanks

Toronto couldn't get any offense in Tuesday's 2-0 loss.

© Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

TORONTO – What a difference a single road trip can make.

The last time the Blue Jays toed the turf at Rogers Centre, each pitch carried tons of weight. A bloop or a blast could’ve jolted this roller coaster of a season into astonishing new lows or blazing highs. First, the Rangers beat the brakes off Toronto. Then the Blue Jays quietly squeaked out a sweep of the Red Sox before claiming four of six games versus two key AL East opponents.

Again, it’s funny how things change.

Before Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to the Yankees at home, the Jays owned a 98.6% to make the playoffs, per Baseball Reference. I won’t bust your brain trying to hash out all the possibilities, but, barring a collapse from the Blue Jays or a surge by the Astros, Toronto will wrap its season as the AL’s second wild-card club and gear up for a three-game road series in Tampa Bay.

Much like the 2022 Blue Jays, this ’23 squad enters October with strengths and weaknesses. This season, the club is heavy on pitching talent and light on slugging — the opposite of ’22. But vibes are pristine among players and coaches in the Blue Jays clubhouse, who, if asked to talk about playoffs, will coyly answer, “We still have to make it first.” Ugh. Fine.

This final homestand — especially the final three contests versus the Rays — offers the Blue Jays a sandbox to test their postseason mettle. How often do you get a (probably) meaningless three-game set against the divisional rival you’ll face in the playoffs just days later? It’s weird and fun at the same time. But first, Toronto battled New York.

Tuesday, the first game of the Yankees series, unfolded in an all-too-familiar fashion. Jays hitters were patient but punchless at the dish, drawing five walks, a single hit, and no runs off starter Michael King. That’s about where the buck stopped — a feat only made sadder by the Yankees’ lack of effort on the other end. With nothing to play for, New York sat Aaron Judge and rolled out a spring training lineup.

But the Blue Jays, damned as they were, walked the tightrope with excellent defense and another emphatic outing from ace Kevin Gausman. The Blue Jays right-hander had a regular day at the office (a quality start with no run support), notably stranding runners on the corners in the seventh after a great throw by Bo Bichette nabbed Giancarlo Stanton at the plate.

An entire evening of run prevention came undone with one mighty cut from Yankees rookie Austin Wells, who tagged Jordan Romano’s ninth-inning offering for a two-run homer. That blast deflated a Rogers Centre crowd of 40,454.

If this was a postseason series, the Blue Jays wouldn’t have set a very sharp tone. On Tuesday, there was mostly dominant pitching, tight defense, and a whimpering offense that dragged the Jays down. Toronto will look to wash it all away and come clean to the park Wednesday.