The road to first place wasn’t pretty for the Toronto Blue Jays, but they celebrated nonetheless.
The Blue Jays tied the New York Yankees atop the Al East on Wednesday with one of the dramatic games of the year, in which they blew an 8-0 lead before an eighth-inning rally gave they the win. Both teams’ records now sit at 48-38.
Advertisement
Toronto entered the three-game series knowing full well that a sweep would give them sole possession of first place in the division. Step 1 was a runaway 12-5 win on Tuesday. It appeared Step 2 would be even simpler when it hung seven runs on the Yankees in the first inning, with home runs from Addison Barger and Davis Schneider.
A rally in the third inning made it an eight-run lead, but then the Yankees’ Al-best offense went to work. They got six runs back in the fifth inning, then Aaron Judge did this to tie the game and stun the home fans in the top of the eighth.
Say this for the Blue Jays, they didn’t let blowing an eight-run lead keep them down. They responded quickly in the bottom of the inning, with George Springer walking, stealing second base, taking third on a fly-out and scoring on a wild pitch to take back the lead.
Advertisement
Barger hit an RBI single on the same at-bat to make it 11-9.
Jeff Hoffman closed it out in the ninth, aided by a jumping catch at the wall by center fielder Myles Straw.
The win gives the Blue Jays the chance to take sole possession of the division on Thursday, with starting pitcher Chris Bassitt scheduled to face Clarke Schmidt.
Not many people expected the Jays to be competitive in a crowded AL East and in some ways they’re over-performing. Their plus-6 run differential ranks fourth in the division and well behind the Yankees. They seemed especially when a four-game losing streak pushed their record to 16-20 on May 7, but their 31-18 record since then is the second-best in MLB.
The Blue Jays have a share of first place. (Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images)
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
So much has been made about the Blue Jays and their path forward in recent years. They made very clear they believed they can still contend with their $500 million Vladimir Guerrero Jr. contract extension, plus the $92.5 million Anthony Santander free-agent deal and the trade that landed Andrés Giménez’s $106.5 million deal.
Not everything is paying dividends (Santander is on the IL after hitting .179 in 50 games), but Toronto has enough working in the meantime. Now we see if they can do it in the second half as well.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
All Eyes on Top-Rated QB Recruit Bryce Underwood for No. 14 Michigan
Bryce Underwood, playing quarterback for No. 14 Michigan and hailed as the top-rated recruit in the country, is ready to have all eyes on him this season.He's also ready to take some hits.The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Underwood told two reporters earlier this summer — at a car dealership that leveraged his name, image and likeness to draw fans for autographs — that he has put on 15 pounds of muscle to get bigger, stronger and quicker."It's made me more explosive," Underwood said. "I feel way more faster."The Wolverines trail four Big Ten teams in the AP Top 25, but Underwood said people should expect a lot from them on both sides of the ball."Offense and defense that they never seen before," he said.Second-year coach Sherrone Moore, who might name a starting quarterback on Monday, said Underwood's talent and comprehension of the […]
Chicago Cubs look like they’re rediscovering their swagger vs. Brewers — and just in time
CHICAGO — Storms rolling through the city of Chicago this week felt symbolic of where the Cubs stood as they came into the biggest week of their 2025 season. The Cubs, gearing up for this week’s five-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers, have been weathering major storms throughout the season’s second half.And after dropping the first game vs. Milwaukee 7-0 on Monday, Chicago had two options. They could let the Brewers walk into Wrigley Field and snuff out any remaining hope of a division title, or the Cubs could fight back and show the baseball world they aren’t out of it yet.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAfter weeks of seeming unable to pick themselves up off the ground, through the first three games of this series, the Cubs look like they’ve finally found some fight. They swept Tuesday’s doubleheader by scores of 6-4 and 4-1, […]
Yankees defend drafting player who drew swastika on Jewish student’s door as a college freshman
A month after the 2025 MLB Draft, the New York Yankees are defending their selection of a player who drew a swastika on the door of a Jewish student's dorm room during his freshman year at Nebraska.Core Jackson, a shortstop the Yankees took in the fifth round, was 17 years old when, as he recalls, got blackout drunk and drew the swastika in October 2021, as he told The Athletic. He claims he didn't remember the incident, didn't know who lived in the dorm room and "broke down in tears" when someone told him what he did the next day.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJackson, who later transferred to Utah, reportedly called the incident a "really stupid mistake" and said he "felt like the worst person in the world." He claims he attempted to apologize to the student but was told by campus police not […]
Hodgkinson eases to victory as she continues return from injury
Keely Hodgkinson continued her winning return in Lausanne as she prepares for the World Athletics Championships; It comes a week after the 23-year-old set a new 800m Diamond League meeting record of one minute and 54.74 seconds, the second-fastest time of Hodgkinson's career Last Updated: 20/08/25 8:12pm Keely Hodgkinson continued her brilliant return as she steps up preparations for the World Championships Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson produced a dominant display to win the women's 800 metres at the Diamond League meet in Lausanne, with British team-mate Georgia Hunter Bell finishing third. Hodgkinson, who has been recovering from a hamstring injury, returned after a 376-day absence in Silesia last weekend to set a world-leading run of one minute and 54.74 seconds, just behind her own national record.With the World Championships in Tokyo coming up next month, Hodgkinson laid down another marker […]
2025 NASCAR Odds: Logano, Cindric Early Favorites For Coke Zero Sugar 400
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Daytona for the Coke Zero Sugar 400, the last regular-season competition of the year.When it comes to the odds, bettors can dive into that action and place wagers on which driver they think has what it takes to win outright.Last weekend at Richmond, Austin Dillon got into victory lane one year after his controversial win at the track. This week, however, he's a long +4000 to win at Daytona. Joey Logano and Austin Cindric at +1000 are the early favorites for Saturday's race.So who will take the checkered flag at the Coke Zero Sugar 400? Let's dive into the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Aug. 20.Coke Zero Sugar 400 2025Joey Logano: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Austin Cindric: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Chase Elliott: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 […]
Coco Gauff shakes up coaching staff ahead of US Open, fires Matt Daly and replaces him with former Aryana Sabalenka coach
Coco Gauff has fired a member of her coaching staff, Matt Daly, days ahead of the start of the US Open.She's replaced him with Gavin MacMillan, a biomechanics specialist who's credited with having helped Aryana Sabalenka fix her serve and rise to the No. 1 ranking in the world, The Athletic reports.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDaly confirmed his dismissal on Wednesday to tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg.“Only have good things to say about Coco, enjoyed working with her,” Gauff told Rothenberg.[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]Gauff hired Daly, a grip specialist, to work on her serve and forehand after she fired then-coach Brad Gilbert following a disappointing fourth-round exit at the 2024 US Open on the heels of her victory at the tournament in 2023. Daly worked with Gauff as she won the French Open this summer, claiming […]
Related
All Eyes on Top-Rated QB Recruit Bryce Underwood for No. 14 Michigan
Bryce Underwood, playing quarterback for No. 14 Michigan and hailed as the top-rated recruit in the country, is ready to have all eyes on him this season.He's also ready to take some hits.The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Underwood told two reporters earlier this summer — at a car dealership that leveraged his name, image and likeness to draw fans for autographs — that he has put on 15 pounds of muscle to get bigger, stronger and quicker."It's made me more explosive," Underwood said. "I feel way more faster."The Wolverines trail four Big Ten teams in the AP Top 25, but Underwood said people should expect a lot from them on both sides of the ball."Offense and defense that they never seen before," he said.Second-year coach Sherrone Moore, who might name a starting quarterback on Monday, said Underwood's talent and comprehension of the […]
Chicago Cubs look like they’re rediscovering their swagger vs. Brewers — and just in time
CHICAGO — Storms rolling through the city of Chicago this week felt symbolic of where the Cubs stood as they came into the biggest week of their 2025 season. The Cubs, gearing up for this week’s five-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers, have been weathering major storms throughout the season’s second half.And after dropping the first game vs. Milwaukee 7-0 on Monday, Chicago had two options. They could let the Brewers walk into Wrigley Field and snuff out any remaining hope of a division title, or the Cubs could fight back and show the baseball world they aren’t out of it yet.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAfter weeks of seeming unable to pick themselves up off the ground, through the first three games of this series, the Cubs look like they’ve finally found some fight. They swept Tuesday’s doubleheader by scores of 6-4 and 4-1, […]
Yankees defend drafting player who drew swastika on Jewish student’s door as a college freshman
A month after the 2025 MLB Draft, the New York Yankees are defending their selection of a player who drew a swastika on the door of a Jewish student's dorm room during his freshman year at Nebraska.Core Jackson, a shortstop the Yankees took in the fifth round, was 17 years old when, as he recalls, got blackout drunk and drew the swastika in October 2021, as he told The Athletic. He claims he didn't remember the incident, didn't know who lived in the dorm room and "broke down in tears" when someone told him what he did the next day.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementJackson, who later transferred to Utah, reportedly called the incident a "really stupid mistake" and said he "felt like the worst person in the world." He claims he attempted to apologize to the student but was told by campus police not […]
Hodgkinson eases to victory as she continues return from injury
Keely Hodgkinson continued her winning return in Lausanne as she prepares for the World Athletics Championships; It comes a week after the 23-year-old set a new 800m Diamond League meeting record of one minute and 54.74 seconds, the second-fastest time of Hodgkinson's career Last Updated: 20/08/25 8:12pm Keely Hodgkinson continued her brilliant return as she steps up preparations for the World Championships Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson produced a dominant display to win the women's 800 metres at the Diamond League meet in Lausanne, with British team-mate Georgia Hunter Bell finishing third. Hodgkinson, who has been recovering from a hamstring injury, returned after a 376-day absence in Silesia last weekend to set a world-leading run of one minute and 54.74 seconds, just behind her own national record.With the World Championships in Tokyo coming up next month, Hodgkinson laid down another marker […]
2025 NASCAR Odds: Logano, Cindric Early Favorites For Coke Zero Sugar 400
The NASCAR Cup Series heads to Daytona for the Coke Zero Sugar 400, the last regular-season competition of the year.When it comes to the odds, bettors can dive into that action and place wagers on which driver they think has what it takes to win outright.Last weekend at Richmond, Austin Dillon got into victory lane one year after his controversial win at the track. This week, however, he's a long +4000 to win at Daytona. Joey Logano and Austin Cindric at +1000 are the early favorites for Saturday's race.So who will take the checkered flag at the Coke Zero Sugar 400? Let's dive into the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Aug. 20.Coke Zero Sugar 400 2025Joey Logano: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Austin Cindric: +1000 (bet $10 to win $110 total)Chase Elliott: +1100 (bet $10 to win $120 […]
Coco Gauff shakes up coaching staff ahead of US Open, fires Matt Daly and replaces him with former Aryana Sabalenka coach
Coco Gauff has fired a member of her coaching staff, Matt Daly, days ahead of the start of the US Open.She's replaced him with Gavin MacMillan, a biomechanics specialist who's credited with having helped Aryana Sabalenka fix her serve and rise to the No. 1 ranking in the world, The Athletic reports.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDaly confirmed his dismissal on Wednesday to tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg.“Only have good things to say about Coco, enjoyed working with her,” Gauff told Rothenberg.[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season]Gauff hired Daly, a grip specialist, to work on her serve and forehand after she fired then-coach Brad Gilbert following a disappointing fourth-round exit at the 2024 US Open on the heels of her victory at the tournament in 2023. Daly worked with Gauff as she won the French Open this summer, claiming […]
Be the first to leave a comment