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New York Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Blue Jays hope to buck franchise history after win streak ends at 10 games
CHICAGO — For years, the Blue Jays watched other teams rattle off lengthy win streaks. The Tampa Bay Rays started the 2013 season with 13 victories. The Cleveland Guardians won 22 in a row in 2017, a modern MLB record. Earlier this year, the Minnesota Twins dropped a 13-game streak. The Jays were merely viewers and victims of those American League runs. It 'sucked' watching the Rays rattle off 13 wins to start 2023, manager John Schneider said. Advertisement 'There's times when you're like, 'Wow is this team ever going to lose?'' Schneider said. In 2025, the Jays are the franchise that captured magic and stacked win after win. Toronto became the team it had previously watched from afar — the streaking squad building breathing room. A 2-1 loss to the White Sox on Wednesday ended the Jays' streak one win short of tying a franchise-record 11 consecutive wins. The lossless run vaulted Toronto to the top of the American League East, but as Blue Jays history shows, a streak alone can't build a successful season. 'It's where you want to be,' Schneider said. 'You want people to know that you're playing good baseball, and that you know how to win.' The last time the Blue Jays sat atop the AL East this late in a season was 2015 — the José Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnación Jays. That was also the last year they posted a double-digit win streak. The Jays have reached an 11-game win streak five times, but only the two in 2015 turned into October baseball. Prior to this season, the franchise's 10 longest streaks produced just three playoff appearances. Toronto's current roster is well aware of what a win streak can do when built upon. Eric Lauer, who pitched four innings and allowed two runs in Wednesday's loss, was a member of the Milwaukee Brewers in 2021 when the St. Louis Cardinals won 17 games in a row to vault back into the postseason. A streak like that gets everyone's attention. Even the pop-ups are fun 😅 Just a team of guys being dudes — Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 9, 2025 'It definitely made you aware of them,' Lauer said. 'It puts a little bit of a target on their back, and everybody's gonna give that specific team their best effort and their best go. So I think that's kind of where we're at right now.' José Berríos' Twins were eliminated from division contention three weeks before the 2017 season ended because of the Guardians' 22-win hot streak that year. Berríos remembers that feeling — on the wrong end of another team's greatness — and wants to taste the other side, he said. Advertisement There's a difference between the streak success stories and the teams with a 10-game footnote. Even outside of two streaks, the 2015 Jays still played four games over .500. The 2017 Guardians were 80-60 when you take out the 22-game heater. With added wild-card teams, one strong stretch can put a team in postseason contention. But, still, the rest of the games matter. That's what gives the 2025 Blue Jays confidence, Max Scherzer said. Toronto's strong play dates back long before the streak. In the month before the 10 straight wins, the Jays posted a 17-10 record. Since May 28, they have a +48 run differential, if you care about that. In the month before the 10-game streak began, Toronto posted the fourth-most runs in baseball. 'This streak didn't happen because all of the sudden we got hot,' Scherzer said. 'We started playing really good baseball a month ago.' Wednesday's loss ended Toronto's undefeated stretch. Now the Blue Jays will find out if the streak stands alone or, bucking franchise history, becomes the foundation of something bigger. 'Baseball is a lot more fun than when you're on streaks,' Scherzer said. 'I get it. But for me, being part of those streaks and being in the league, it's not as much about the streak. What's impressed me about this team is the team.' (Photo of Nathan Lukes: Geoff Stellfox / Getty Images)


National Post
07-07-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Is Toronto Blue Jays skipper John Schneider a contender for AL Manager of the Year?
Article content WATCH BELOW: On the latest episode of Long Ball, Postmedia's Rob Wong chats with Toronto Sun Blue Jays writer Rob Longley about what has impressed him the most during the Blue Jays eight-game win streak and if John Schneider belongs in the AL Manager of the Year conversations with his team currently in first place.


New York Times
07-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Blue Jays takeaways: Hot-streak heroics, Kirk's All-Star turnaround, Toronto's draft plans
TORONTO — A matchup with the .500 Angels could've been a trap for the Toronto Blue Jays — an emotional letdown coming off a four-game sweep of the Yankees. Instead, the surging Jays swept away Los Angeles, polishing off a perfect homestand and extending the win streak to eight. The Jays haven't rattled off a longer win streak since 2015. Toronto sits two victories away from the franchise record for wins before the All-Star break, with six games to go. Before the Blue Jays attempt to extend the win streak against the White Sox, here are three takeaways from the homestand: The Blue Jays run a 26-man relay race, handing off big moments and strong stretches to a new player every day. Advertisement 'You're going to need a lot of people,' manager John Schneider said. 'You're going to need 40 out of your 40-man roster over the course of the year, sometimes 26 on a given day. And, you know, kind of feels like we're in that right now.' Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger were the team's top batters in May. Alejandro Kirk carried in June. For the opening month, Chris Bassitt and a top-five bullpen buoyed Toronto's pitching staff. Now, the starting lift comes from Kevin Gausman and Eric Lauer. Addison Barger, it's your turn to be the hero 🙌 #WALKOFF — Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) July 5, 2025 Amid the team's eight-game win streak, seven Toronto hitters posted multi-hit games. George Springer nearly single-handedly beat the Yankees with a grand slam and seven RBI on Canada Day, and three nights later, the Jays walked off the Angels on Ernie Clement's sacrifice bunt. In Toronto's seventh win, on Saturday, the heroics came from Barger's walk-off single and six innings of one-run ball from Lazaro Estrada and Braydon Fisher. Then Joey Loperfido drove in a run on Sunday. None of that foursome broke camp on Toronto's Opening Day roster. 'That's what is great,' Max Scherzer said. 'We're in this win streak, and in this, it's everybody. That's how we feel in the clubhouse. It's somebody, it's everybody.' That kind of contributing depth can win divisions — it's what lifted Toronto to first this week. Look at the Yankees team Toronto just passed: Aaron Judge already has more WAR (6.5) than any Blue Jays player is on pace for this season, per Baseball Reference. What has sunk New York lately is a lack of depth, exacerbated by injury. Only two Yankees batters hit over .270 entering Sunday. The Jays had eight over that mark. There are moments, likely in October, when depth fades to the background. Guerrero, with his new $500 million contract, will need a big hit in a big spot in a big game. One pitcher must push to the top and take the ball to start game one of a postseason series. But during the regular season, and especially in the injury-filled slog of July, passing the baton wins games. It's certainly working for the streaking Blue Jays. Advertisement For two years, Kirk's All-Star form felt increasingly distant. The 14-homer guy who earned the American League's starting nod at the 2022 showcase game appeared an aberration — perhaps a peak that Kirk would never reach again. Toronto's starting catcher regressed to normalcy, hitting .251 in 2023 and 2024, not sniffing double-digit homers or an above-average OPS. 'The last couple years,' Kirk said through team interpreter Hector Lebron. 'They didn't go the way I wanted.' This year, Kirk is back atop the mountain. He'll join Guerrero as the Blue Jays' representatives at the 2025 All-Star Game in Atlanta on July 15. The 26-year-old backstop credits comfort in his offensive capabilities for his 2025 success. He found himself chasing home runs the past two seasons, Kirk said, part of a Blue Jays offence starved for power. 'My mental approach for this offseason, that preparation, I think it helped me a lot,' Kirk said. 'Knowing who I am as a hitter, it was very important. I'm seeing the results of that right now.' Kirk's defence continues to improve each season. He grades out among the very best in baseball in caught stealing, blocking and framing pitches in 2025. What earned Kirk the All-Star honour, though, is line drives, high-contact and gap power. He's pulling the ball less than ever before, which results in fewer ground balls and 6.1 percent less soft contact than 2024. Kirk's .301 batting average is higher than any other American League catcher. 'I consider myself a complete hitter right now,' Kirk said. Kirk's offensive resurgence and All-Star recognition is a distillation of Toronto's 2025 success. After a 74-win season, the Jays brought in Andrés Giménez, Jeff Hoffman, Anthony Santander, Nick Sandlin, Max Scherzer and more this offseason. However, Toronto's 2025 turnaround is led by familiar faces. Kirk is one of seven incumbent Blue Jays bats on pace for at least 0.7 more bWAR than 2024. George Springer and Bo Bichette are already far past their WAR totals from a year ago. Advertisement If the Blue Jays were going to have real success in 2025, they needed real rebounds. Kirk's revival is one of many, and he's heading back to the All-Star game because of it. 'After a couple tough years,' Schneider said. 'He's understanding what he needs to do to be great in the box.' The Blue Jays' reward for a dismal 2024 season is the eighth pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. After signing Anthony Santander and forgoing a compensatory second rounder, that eighth pick is Toronto's only selection inside the top 80. The lone early pick helped tighten the Blue Jays' early draft board, new director of amateur scouting Marc Tramuta said, as the team homes in on 'about 10 to 12 players' ahead of the July 13 first round. 'Not having the second pick, obviously, limits how much money you have to spend, because you lose that pool money,' Tramuta said. 'But it allowed me to focus more and see those players more, maybe, than I usually would.' The strength of this year's first round is shortstops at the college and high school level and top-end college pitching. Those options fit with Tramuta's drafting preference, which he identified as 'up the middle players' and big, physical pitchers who throw strikes. This will be Tramuta's first draft as Toronto's amateur scouting leader, promoted from his role as special assistant to replace Shane Farrell this offseason. In six years leading the New York Mets' draft process, before returning to Toronto in 2023, Tramuta selected two center fielders (Jarred Kelenic, Pete Crow-Armstrong), a shortstop (Jett Williams), one catcher (Kevin Parada) and two college starters (David Peterson, Kumar Rocker). Only third baseman Brett Baty, drafted in 2019, bucks the mold of a hulking starter or up-the-middle athlete. A top college starter like Tennessee lefty Liam Doyle could fall to Toronto at eight, but as Keith Law suggested in The Athletic's June mock draft, the Blue Jays have been heavily connected to shortstops. That shifts focus to a high school crop featuring Eli Willits, JoJo Parker and Billy Carlson. College shortstops like Aiva Arquette (Oregon State) and Wehiwa Aloy (Arkansas) could also be in play at eight. Advertisement The Blue Jays found first place this week, but lost a few more regulars to ankle sprains. Second baseman Andrés Giménez went back on the 10-day IL after spraining his left ankle in the field. He'll wear a walking boot for the next five days to a week, Schneider said, before the team re-evaluates the infielder. Reliever Yimí García returned to the Blue Jays bullpen for a single outing before suffering another injury. The set-up man was placed on the 15-day injured list with an ankle sprain after slipping as he entered a recovery tub.


CTV News
06-07-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
Next Up: Different Blue Jays players helping Toronto win in eight-game streak
Toronto Blue Jays' Joey Loperfido hits an RBI single off Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Anderson during fourth inning MLB baseball action in Toronto, Sunday, July 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays aren't just celebrating their season-high eight-game win streak, they're celebrating how they've done it. Joey Loperfido delivered a key run-producing hit and reliever Ryan Burr registered the win in Toronto's 3-2 victory over the Angels on Sunday to sweep Los Angeles. Both players made their season debuts in the triumph. Loperfido was promoted from Triple-A Buffalo to replace an injured Andres Gimenez (ankle). Burr was activated from the 60-day injured list at the same time as he needed the first three months of the season to recover from a right shoulder ailment. 'I think it speaks volumes to the kind of tone and the culture we have here,' Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. 'Looking back to last year, we had a revolving door in here, and it was kind of like, 'All right, who are we? What are we going to do?' 'Now it's like, 'this is what we're doing. Here's how we're doing it.' It's pretty cool for Joey to join the party as well as Ryan.' After Bo Bichette made up for an error in the top of the fourth, he smashed his 12th home run of the season to lead off the bottom of the inning. Later in the fourth, Loperfido singled with two outs to score Myles Straw for a 2-1 lead. 'I've been watching from afar and it looked like a ton of fun,' said Loperfido, who in his pre-game meeting with Schneider discussed the different atmosphere in the Blue Jays' (52-38) clubhouse. 'There is a looseness and positivity and the fun that comes with a swagger.' Burr (1-0) took over for starter Kevin Gausman with two outs in the sixth inning and the game tied 2-2. Schneider left it up to Gausman whether to stay in. But Gausman was gassed after tossing a season-high 107 pitches. Gausman also took on a bit of a manager's role, feeling Burr's slider would offset his own splitter as the perfect tonic to keep the Angels (43-46) hitters at bay. Burr pitched 1 1/3 innings, striking out three of the six batters he faced. His slider struck out Mike Trout, who homered in the first inning, to begin the seventh. 'I thought he did a great job bridging the gap,' Gausman said. The Blue Jays' 52 wins is one shy of the club record for victories before the All-Star Game, set in 1985 and matched in 1992. With three road games apiece against the Chicago White Sox and the Athletics in Sacramento, Calif., the two worst teams in the AL, Toronto should be able to topple the old 53-win mark before the break. The four-game sweep of the Yankees earlier this week and three more against the Angels have put the Blue Jays in this position. 'We're gonna enjoy that,' Schneider said. 'To win out a homestand, throw in Canada Day, it being a different guy every night, that was pretty cool. 'It would have been easy to have a letdown after the four-game sweep. But to win three one-run games [against the Angels], and to do it in different ways with different people, it was awesome.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2025. Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian Press
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Blue Jays' depth contributing to win streak, surge in standings
TORONTO — Neither Addison Barger nor relievers Lazaro Estrada and Braydon Fisher were on the Toronto Blue Jays' 26-player opening day roster. But all three played significant roles in the Blue Jays' 4-3 extra-inning victory against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday that extended Toronto's win streak to a season-high seven games. Advertisement Barger smacked a two-out, walk-off single in the 11th inning, while Estrada and Fisher pitched brilliantly in the final six innings before 37,269 at Rogers Centre. Toronto has gone from eight games behind the New York Yankees in the American League East on May 28 to now leading the second-place Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays by three games. "I think our depth is really good, and I think that the standard and the culture that we've set here in that (clubhouse) rubs off on other people," Toronto manager John Schneider said. "You're going to need a lot of people. You're going to need 40 out of your 40-man (organizational) roster over the course of the year. And sometimes all 26 on a given day. It kind of feels like we're doing that right now." Advertisement The Blue Jays (51-38) have put together their first seven-game win streak in three seasons. With seven games remaining before the All-Star break, if they win four more times they will set a club record for this point in the season. In 1985 and 1992, Toronto won 53 games before the break. "We're in this win streak and it has been everybody (contributing)," Toronto's 41-year-old pitcher Max Scherzer said. "Everybody has had a chance to shine." Barger's clutch hit with the bases loaded gave the Blue Jays a seventh walk-off win in 2025, which ties them for most in the American League. In the first inning, Barger threw out a tagging Mike Trout at home plate to end the Angels (43-45) rally. It was Barger's sixth outfield assist this season. Advertisement He also broke his bat over his knee when he struck out in the ninth to end the inning. The 26-year-old Estrada gave up a run in the seventh inning to allow the visitors to tie the game. But his Major League Baseball debut was impressive, becoming only the 12th in franchise history to toss four or more innings of relief in his debut. "Unbelievable debut," Schneider said. Estrada was the second this season after Paxton Schultz's memorable 4 1/3 innings on April 20. "Very happy, very grateful," Estrada said through an interpreter. "I've waited eight years to get here." Advertisement Schneider replaced Estrada with Fisher (3-0) to begin the 10th inning. All Fisher did was throw two innings of no-hit baseball as Toronto improved to 31-16 at Rogers Centre. Only the Houston Astros have a better home record in the AL at 32-14. The Blue Jays also have won 10 of their last 12 series. SCHERZER STRUGGLES Scherzer lasted only four innings in his third start since three months off to deal with a nagging thumb injury. He revealed inflammation in his troublesome right thumb after his last start prohibited him from partaking in his between-starts routine. He couldn't lift weights or throw a bullpen session. Advertisement ALL-STAR SPRINGER Schneider started a campaign to get his 35-year-old outfielder/designated hitter George Springer on the AL all-star team. Springer smacked a two-run homer in the third inning to put Toronto in front 3-2 for his sixth homer and 20th and 21st RBIs in his last 13 games. "He's still showing the league he can do this kind of stuff," Schneider said. "I think he should be an American League All-Star, no doubt." This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 5, 2025. Tim, The Canadian Press