Playoff Bound: Blue Jays clinch spot with 4-1 win
Sahlen Field - home of the 2020 playoff-bound Toronto Blue Jays. For the first time in baseball history, a team that has played their home games in Buffalo, NY has made it to Major League Baseball’s postseason. With a 4-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday night, the
Sahlen Field - home of the 2020 playoff-bound Toronto Blue Jays.
For the first time in baseball history, a team that has played their home games in Buffalo, NY has made it to Major League Baseball’s postseason. With a 4-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Thursday night, the Blue Jays did what the National League Bisons and the Federal League Buffalo Blues and Buf-Feds could not accomplish more than a century ago.
The Blue Jays are headed to the playoffs!
It was yet another dominating performance in the Queen City for the Blue Jays as Hyun Jin Ryu tossed seven shutout innings and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered as part of a three-hit game. With it, the Blue Jays clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2016.
With three games to go, Toronto has posted a 15-8 record in their home away from home of Sahlen Field, good for a .652 winning pct. Their victory on Thursday was their fifth in seven games against the Yankees in Buffalo.
For their biggest game in four years, the Blue Jays turned to their biggest off-season acquisition and Ryu delivered with his best outing as a Blue Jay. The seven scoreless frames were the most the southpaw has thrown in a start for his new club. The outing lowered his season-ERA to 2.69 -the 4th best mark in the American League.
New York barely threatened against Ryu, advancing a runner to third base just once on the night. That came in the sixth when Luke Voit and Aaron Hicks led off the frame with singles.
Nursing a 2-0 lead, Ryu quickly disposed Giancarlo Stanton, striking out the slugger on three fast balls. Two pitches later, Ryu got a fly ball from Gleyber Torres for a second out. Then a routine grounder to second from former Bisons infielder Gio Urshela ended the threat.
Before that, Ryu had allowed just four base runners over the course of the first five innings. He struck out four and walked just two in his seven innings of work. It was the first time in 88 games the Blue Jays had a starter go seven.
BEHOLD: The NICEST curveball you'll ever see 😉 pic.twitter.com/0MznuA3wcE
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 24, 2020
Another Blue Jay that clearly loves playing at Sahlen Field, Guerrero Jr. led Toronto’s offense with a three-hit night. Vladdy opened the scoring in the second inning with a no-doubt homer to left-center off Yankees starter, Jordan Montgomery.
Our Vladiator starts with a BANG 💥 pic.twitter.com/oIkCNrDOr0
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 24, 2020
Guerrero then singled along with Randal Grichuk in the sixth inning as Toronto doubled their 2-0 lead to 4-0 thanks to a two-run double by fan-favorite catcher, Alejandro Kirk.
In 23 games in Buffalo this year, Vladdy has averaged .333 with 21 RBI and a .971 OPS.
The game wasn’t without some drama though as the Yankees brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the eighth inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, pinch hitter Gary Sanchez nearly gave New York the lead when he drove a Rafael Dolis offering to deep centerfield. Randal Grichuk raced to his right and made a leaping catch of the ball just before crashing into the new blue outfield wall padding at Sahlen Field.
YOU'RE A MEAN ONE, MR. @RGrich15 😱 pic.twitter.com/c9risj9SDh
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) September 25, 2020
Dolis then clinched Toronto’s post season spot by striking out Aaron Judge, D.J. LeMahieu and then Hicks in the top of the ninth inning.
After a bit of celebrating Thursday, the Blue Jays will welcome in the Baltimore Orioles Friday for the final three regular season games of the year.