The Blue Jays' Road to the Playoffs Runs Through Rogers Centre
About 30 minutes before game time, the news broke.
The Toronto Blue Jays got an approval from the federal government and are set to return to Rogers Centre on July 30. The final hurdles were approved by Canada's Immigration Minister, a National Interest Exemption was granted, and the long-awaited return was announced. A done deal.
No place like home.
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 16, 2021
7.30.21 #WeAreBlueJays pic.twitter.com/DI90MaHaRO
It's been over 650 days since the Blue Jays last played in Toronto and the news of a return added an extra buzz to Friday's 10-2 win over the Texas Rangers at Sahlen Field.
"Going into this game, having that big momentum, everybody was smiling, everybody was happy," Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said. "I was excited, all the coaches were excited. It was great news and, again, it showed into the game."
Montoyo called the news of a return to Toronto a "boost" to this team, and that became clear in the very first inning when Toronto's first-half hero got things started with a bang. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — fresh off his All-Star Game MVP performance — got a center-cut curveball and roped it over the wall in left-center field for a solo home run.
He left as a rookie.
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 16, 2021
He's coming home a STAR ⭐️ #PLAKATA pic.twitter.com/rgkdksUalR
In the third inning, another Blue Jays All-Star chipped in. The foghorn bellowed and the lights flickered as Marcus Semien rounded the bases after a 396-foot solo homer to left field. Two batters later, Teoscar Hernández — the Blue Jays' third All-Star starter — ripped a screaming liner just inside the foul pole to increase the lead by two more. Randal Grichuk added another solo bomb a batter later.
There wouldn't be another home run until Guerrero Jr. trudged into the batter's box in the sixth inning with runners on the corners. The 22-year-old promptly demolished a fastball onto Oak Street for a three-run homer, his second of the game and 30th of the season.
Texas TOAST 💥 #PLAKATA pic.twitter.com/ph852koaML
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 17, 2021
On the mound, Robbie Ray dialed up his fastball and it worked like a charm. Ray pitched 6 2/3 innings shutout innings, allowing only four hits, walking two and striking out eight.
"I think the biggest thing is fastball command," Ray said. "I felt like, for the most part today, except for those two walks, I was able to pitch to both sides of the plate with my fastball and it opened up the other parts of my game for me today."
These are what Blue Jays wins look like. Solid starting pitching followed by a terrifying offense that just bludgeons opposing pitchers to a pulp. With a five-homer evening, Toronto overtook San Francisco for the league lead and has shown no signs of stopping.
Power and respectable starting pitching was a recipe that worked well for the Blue Jays in 2015 and, with Toronto's current lineup of sluggers, there's reason to believe it can work again. In 2015, the Blue Jays entered the All-Star break with a 45-46 record, but finished the season at 93-69 and reached the ALCS. Deadline acquisitions like David Price and Troy Tulowitzki were key to that run, and the 2021 Blue Jays are expected to be serious buyers at the upcoming trade deadline.
The Blue Jays have a steep climb to the playoffs — a 36% chance, per Fangraphs — but, win or lose, Toronto fans will have a front row seat at Rogers Centre during their team's quest for October baseball.
Ethan Diamandas is a contributing writer who covers the Toronto Blue Jays for Sports Illustrated. He also writes for Yahoo Sports Canada and MLB.com. Follow Ethan on Twitter @EthanDiamandas