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The Toronto Blue Jays head to the American League Championship Series (ALCS) after defeating the New York Yankees, 5-2, in Game 4 of the ALDS, Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium.
It is the first time the Blue Jays have reached the American League Championship Series since 2016, and they will face the winner of Game 5 between the Seattle Mariners and the Detroit Tigers in their ALDS series.
After a Yankees comeback in Game 3 to stay alive in the series, the momentum was certainly on the side of the home team in the Bronx entering Game 4. That was especially the case for Cam Schlittler, the Wild Card round rookie darling who shut down the Boston Red Sox to help his team advance in the postseason.
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Yariel Rodriguez of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts during Game 4 of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday in New York. (Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
But like every series, the Blue Jays scratched and clawed their way to runs, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. did the job once again in the first inning. With George Springer hitting a double to lead off the game, Guerrero singled to right field to put Toronto on the board first.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider was working a bullpen game, which meant he would pick the right matchups with his relievers. He went with Louis Varland, who allowed Aaron Judge's game-tying three-run homer Tuesday night, as well as Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s eventual game-winning solo shot, to start the game.
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Varland did his job, but Mason Fluharty allowed the Yankees to tie the game when Ryan McMahon, the ninth batter, hit an off-speed pitch and sent it over the short right-field fence to make the score 1-1.
In the top of the fifth inning, Toronto saw its eight and nine hitters, Ernie Clement and Andrés Giménez, give their team a chance after both singled to set up runners at the corners with no one out. Springer hit a sacrifice fly to regain the lead, although the Blue Jays couldn't get more.
It was still too close for the Blue Jays' comfort, as the Yankees were knocking on the door in the bottom of the sixth inning with runners on first and second, the first time they had runners in scoring position all night. But Chisholm grounded out to second base to end the threat of tying, or better yet for the home team, taking the lead.
Then, the most crucial moment came in the top of the seventh inning when Clement singled again to reach base. Gimenez hit a hard line drive in the next at-bat, but it appeared to be an inning-ending double play as it went straight to Chisholm. But Chisholm couldn't handle it and now there were runners on second and third with one out.
Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Nathan Lukes hits a two-run single during the seventh inning against the New York Yankees on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. (Brad Penner/Image Images)
Devin Williams entered the game, relieving Schlitter after he worked 6.1 innings for his team. He got Springer to strike out, a huge swing and miss, as the Yankees were close to escaping a potentially fatal mistake.
But Nathan Lukes, the 31-year-old high-contact player, singled to center field, scoring Clement and Gimenez to make it a 4-1 game. Even though it was only three runs, it felt like more considering the Yankees weren't able to consistently get runners on base like they did in Game 3.
The Blue Jays would add one more in the top of the eighth inning thanks to Myles Straw's single to right field to score Alejandro Kirk, but it would always be the rest of the Toronto bullpen that would really close out this game.
The Yankees threatened with runners in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings, but the Blue Jays were able to return to the dugout unscathed. The biggest pitch was Jeff Hoffman, Toronto's closer, coming out of a bases-loaded jam after Austin Wells flew into left field.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. reacts after hitting a two-run home run during Game 3 on Tuesday. (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)
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Hoffman got the final three outs needed to start the celebration, while the Yankees and their fan base were stunned by the completed season.
The Blue Jays finished the game with 12 total hits, to five for the Yankees, and used eight different pitchers to get the job done.
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