TORONTO – Daulton Varsho was simply attempting to make contact — “brief and candy to the ball” he later stated — however he ended up having the largest hit of the Toronto Blue Jays’ season.
Varsho launched a grand slam within the sixth inning to elevate the Blue Jays over the Boston Pink Sox 6-1 on Thursday evening as Toronto moved one step nearer to successful the American League East title.
Though the New York Yankees additionally received Thursday, beating the Chicago White Sox 5-3 to remain tied with Toronto atop the division, the Blue Jays lowered their magic quantity to a few.
Any mixture of Toronto wins and New York losses that add as much as three will give the Blue Jays the East title. Whichever workforce wins the division will get a bye to the AL Division Collection and home-field benefit besides.
“I feel everyone desires to really feel this strain on the finish of the season,” stated Varsho. “You wish to really feel that as a result of which means you’re in it.
“It’s a kind of issues the place you both can crumble and fall and never play effectively or we might be us and know that all through the season, we’ve performed actually good baseball, and simply maintain trusting it.”
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It’s been a tough 9 days for the Blue Jays as they’ve misplaced six of eight video games with a time without work blended in. Toronto’s earlier win, an 8-5 triumph in Kansas Metropolis on Sunday, clinched a playoff berth however all these losses evaporated a five-game lead within the AL East.
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Varsho stated he and Blue Jays hitting coach David Popkins have been speaking in regards to the season spinning uncontrolled earlier Thursday.
“Lots of people didn’t decide us to win the division, and we exceeded everyone’s requirements, and now it’s like everyone’s holding us to that normal. Now we’ve obtained to win a division,” stated Varsho. “It’s like, effectively, screw it. We have already got home cash. Let’s simply maintain going, maintain taking part in the best way that we’ve all the time performed.
“If we don’t win the division, who cares? We’re a extremely robust workforce to beat, and we’ve obtained the items to do it.”
George Springer had a two-run homer in the identical inning as Toronto (91-68) obtained a clutch efficiency from its bullpen.
Louis Varland, usually a reliever, began the sport and pitched two scoreless innings. He was adopted to the mound by Eric Lauer, Yariel Rodriguez, Braydon Fisher, Seranthony Dominguez, Brendon Little and Jeff Hoffman.
Varland, Lauer and Rodriguez mixed for six good innings on a delegated bullpen day. The three relievers’ strong outing got here hours after right-hander Jose Berrios, a starter who was lately moved to the bullpen, was placed on the 15-day injured checklist with proper elbow irritation.
Fellow starter Chris Bassitt obtained a cortisone shot in his again on Wednesday to cope with his irritation and can return to throwing on Friday. He was positioned on the IL on Saturday.
“It’s all the time robust in a bullpen sport the place it’s like, ‘All proper, you’re relying on plenty of guys (having) plenty of good innings,’” stated Lauer, whose 3 1/3 innings of labor have been essentially the most of any Blue Jays pitcher. “The truth that we have been capable of all go on the market and do our jobs is big.
“I feel it simply set us up and put us in a great place to win.”
Shane Bieber (3-2) takes the mound for Toronto on Friday because the Blue Jays open their last three-game sequence of the common season. Adrian Houser (8-4) will get the beginning for the Tampa Bay Rays (77-82).
New York will host the Baltimore Orioles (75-84) within the opener of their three-game sequence.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Sept. 25, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
