Blue Jays Look to Leave Cleveland With a Series That Changed Everything
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The Toronto Blue Jays arrive at the close of their series against the Cleveland Guardians after scoring 11 runs in a game for the first time since May 9.
After losing 6-1 on Tuesday, Toronto responded with an 11-0 rout on Wednesday at Progressive Field, led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run — his eighth of the year — and five RBIs. Toronto added its seventh victory scoring at least 10 runs this season and the team’s fifth in its last seven games.
The best news for the fanbase is that the team has played better under pressure since late July. Toronto has won 23 of its last 38 games since July 23, accumulating a .605 winning percentage that is only surpassed by the Tampa Bay Rays, who led the American League during that period.
Now it will have the opportunity to win the season series against Cleveland for the first time since 2021.
Toronto Needs Vladimir Guerrero Jr. To Keep Impacting With Power
Before last night’s game, with a home run and five RBIs — the highest figure in a game for him this year — Vladdy had only six RBIs in his last 25 games and was hitting .242/.279/.323 in 104 plate appearances. I wrote about his problems and those of Toronto’s hitters against left-handed pitchers like Joey Cantillo, who tend to use a great mix of breaking balls and off-speed pitches in their repertoire.
Cantillo did not hold up: he allowed nine hits and an equal number of runs in 5 1/3 innings after facing the lineup three times. Vladdy has played just five games against the Guardians and now, in 20 trips to the batter’s box, is averaging a 1.134 OPS.
Against right-hander Tanner Bibee, the Guardians’ starter this Thursday, Guerrero Jr. has four hits in nine at-bats, including a home run, in addition to a walk. He is one of the best hitters against Bibee, along with Alejandro Kirk (5-2, 3 RBI) and Andrés Giménez (5-2, 2 RBI).
The Blue Jays have waited for Vladdy’s power streak throughout the entire season, but he still has not been able to be at the level we saw him at during last year’s postseason. Will this be the definitive moment after his best game of the entire year?
The Starting Pitching Has Changed Toronto’s Profile
While the offense receives a good part of the attention after scoring 11 runs, part of Toronto’s great transformation has occurred on the mound.
Since the All-Star break, Blue Jays starters lead the American League in batting average allowed, at .216. They also rank second in FIP (3.52), third in ERA (3.27), fourth in WHIP (1.18) and have the highest strikeout rate (23.5%).
What they are needing the most is offensive support to compete, since the starters and the bullpen have been at a very high level, offering enough expectations of victory.
José Soriano Already Knows What It Is Like To Face Cleveland
José Soriano will be in charge of maintaining that dominant pitching trend this Thursday. Soriano has a 3.45 ERA in 151 1/3 innings this season and arrives after allowing three earned runs or fewer in each of his last seven outings. During that period, he has recorded a 3.35 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 40 1/3 innings. His teams — including two Angels games — have finished with a 6-1 record in those seven decisions.
The conclusion of this series also has a particular meaning for the Blue Jays, who won two of three games against Cleveland in April and have now tied the season series 3-2 after Wednesday’s victory. A win this Thursday would ensure Toronto’s first victory in the season series against the Guardians since 2021.
That is not enough to change the Blue Jays’ position in the playoff race, but in this final stretch every victory and every series won has a greater meaning. The Blue Jays are looking for the momentum, and they have shown that, when they achieve it, they could become a very difficult contender to beat under pressure.
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Yirsandy is a baseball writer specializing in MLB coverage with experience across multiple teams and storylines. He currently writes for Diamond Centric, where he covers the New York Mets, San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Kansas City Royals. My work focuses on game coverage, player analysis, and storytelling that connects performance with context. My Substack has also been an important part of my writing development, where I’ve built much of my baseball coverage and storytelling voice over time. I’m passionate about combining reporting, research, and thoughtful analysis to produce engaging baseball content for readers.
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