Toronto Blue Jays vs NY Yankees Series Recap
Vibe Check
How to be a fan in this part of the standings? After the loss in game two of the series, I felt a tug of war in my fandom. In the past, a loss in a game that felt as winnable as that would have made me feel like the Blue Jays just weren’t the team to make it to that next level. It occurred to me that the Blue Jays are playing well at home and are beating up on teams with a losing record. They have a winning record against teams with a record of 500 or better. I need to learn how to be comfortable with a team that wins many games over time. One loss is not going to end the season or ruin the momentum the boys have built out of the All-Star Break. This team is fun. Enjoy the ride.
Is this a “Must Win” series? Between games two and three, I ran across some clickbait headlines saying game three was “must win”. There is some urgency for the Yankees to win this game and get the season series back to their home stadium. I don’t think this game was a must-win for the Blue Jays. Piggybacking off the first point of this section, the Blue Jays have earned some cushion in their division lead. We aren’t talking full goose-feather mattress here, but we can breathe comfortably and trust in the team’s ability to win more often than they lose. We also need to look at the teams around the Blue Jays in the standings. No team is running away with the best record in the American League or MLB. I would prefer to win when the other teams are losing, but we can’t assume that the Jays not winning game three means that all the other teams near the top of the standings are going to win 15 games in a row.
Game 1 Moments (Blue Jays Win 4-1)
Stopped counting at nine left on base. The Blue Jays did that thing where they have a lot of stranded base runners. The Jays also did that thing where they have one big inning with no supporting runs anywhere else. Rodon was on the mound so the pitching matchup was tough. I won’t let this drag the vibe down, but I would like to see what this Jays lineup will do when they get through this part of the schedule and see some less intimidating pitchers on the mound.
Gausman was incredible in this game. Seeing all parts of the team working together to get wins makes me feel great about where this team is headed.
It is an incredible feeling that I never have to hope for a good at bat. I KNOW the next Blue Jay up to the plate will have a good plate appearance. I’ve never felt this way about the team. It’s a great feeling.
Game 2 Moments (Blue Jays Lose 4-5)
The three-run home run in the top of the first put this game into a weird place. I felt like the Jays could make the comeback, but I felt like I was watching and waiting for the moment before I got into the game. To my joy, they did tie the game and were so close to having the hammer in the ninth. Alas, it was not meant to be. It stings because they had their chances. With Fried on the mound for game three, the preference is to have the series win wrapped up before he takes his turn in the rotation. Sure, the loss was not fun, but the Jays are always in the game. Get ‘em tomorrow.
Game 3 Moments (Blue Jays Win 8-4)
Tale of two Games: Fried looked scary good in the first three innings, then the rest of the game happened. Think about the pitchers the Jays have faced out of the All-Star Break. Webb, Ray, Rodon, and Fried were the starting pitchers in four of the five wins in the last two series. All of those pitchers were rested. What isn’t there to be confident about? Maybe it will take a few innings for the Jays’ hitters to figure out the starter, but they are a test for the other team every single game.
Springer’s run scored from first base on the Vladdy double was huge. Not just for tying the game, but a declaration of the fight they were going to put up in the game. Early in the season, it felt like some of the base running aggression was a liability in the Blue Jays’ assets. But plays like that make the Blue Jays who they are. I’m so proud to root for this team.
Random Thoughts
Needs to be said: The Blue Jays have been the beneficiary of some bad booth reviews and some GENEROUS strike calls in the third game of this series.
I had a thought during game three when a graphic was shown about the Yankees having six home runs in the series compared to the Blue Jays' zero. I asked if that was a problem. This was before Bo hit his two-run home run, and no, I don’t think the perceived Jays' power outage is an issue. They are winning games; however, they need to, and I think we can all agree that power exists in this lineup. While they are hitting doubles and taking extra bases, the power can take the time it needs to figure itself out.
The Yankee defense is so bad. Thank you for the help. Your bats are scary, but the errors make the home runs go down easier.
