The Toronto Blue Jays picked the perfect night to make a statement. After three straight early exits from the postseason, the Jays finally turned the page, hammering the New York Yankees 10-1 in Game 1 of the ALDS on Friday night.
The Rogers Centre crowd was electric from the first pitch, and Toronto fed off the energy. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. set the tone early, launching a solo home run off Yankees starter Luis Gil in the opening inning. One frame later, Alejandro Kirk crushed an inside fastball to nearly the same spot – and then did it again in the eighth, finishing the night with two home runs and four RBIs.
Toronto’s Seventh-Inning Surge
The Yankees briefly showed life in the sixth, cutting the lead to 2-1, but Toronto’s offense erupted right after. In the bottom of the seventh, Daulton Varsho drew a walk and later scored on an Andrés Giménez single. Nathan Lukes followed with a two-run double that blew the game wide open. A Guerrero sacrifice fly made it 6-1 before the inning was done.
By the time Kirk launched his second homer, the crowd knew it was over. Hits from Varsho, Giménez, and Myles Straw piled on more runs until the scoreboard read 10-1 – a number that felt like redemption.
Pitching and Defense Seal the Deal
Kevin Gausman delivered exactly what Toronto needed. He threw 5 2/3 innings, giving up only one run while striking out three. The bullpen – Seranthony Domínguez, Brendon Little, and Jeff Hoffman – locked things down, allowing just one hit the rest of the way.
On defense, Guerrero flashed the leather with a diving double play in the second inning, and Lukes made a highlight catch down the right-field line in the fifth.
With the win, Toronto snapped a seven-game postseason losing streak – its first playoff victory since 2016. The Jays will look to keep the momentum going in Game 2, where rookie Trey Yesavage faces off against Yankees left-hander Max Fried.
For a fan base that’s waited nearly a decade, this wasn’t just a win. It felt like the start of something bigger.
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