Homer-happy Blue Jays end West Coast swing on a high note to stay in the heart of the wild-card race

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This article was published 15/08/2021 (1559 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When the Blue Jays returned home at the end of July for the first time in two years, it was almost like they received a new lease on life. Two weeks later, their season appeared to be on the brink of collapse.

Must-win games don’t exist in mid-August, not when there are still six weeks and 45 games remaining in the regular season, but Sunday’s series finale against the Seattle Mariners sure felt like one the Jays desperately needed to have amidst this month’s wild swing of emotions.

Any momentum the Jays appeared to have following a recent 10-2 stretch vanished in a flash Saturday. First, star outfielder George Springer went down with an injury as he crashed into the wall while attempting to make a leaping catch. Minutes later, the bullpen coughed up the lead in yet another late-inning meltdown, dropping the Jays’ record to 2-4 on their West Coast trip.

The media doesn’t have clubhouse access during the pandemic, but one didn’t need to be in the room after the heartbreaking loss to get a sense of how bad things were. You could see it on the players’ pained faces as they played out the string over the final two innings and again when they left the dugout. You could even hear it in their post-game interviews: This setback hurt more than most.

It was a sombre scene and one that came with the risk of carrying over into future games. A loss to Seattle in the series finale would have meant a series sweep, falling another game back of the Yankees and Red Sox while missing an opportunity to gain ground on the Oakland A’s. Just as devastating, it would have pushed the Mariners ahead in the standings, adding to the list of teams the Jays are chasing.

Things didn’t look good, and it wouldn’t have been all that surprising to see this young Jays team crumble under the pressure. Losing Springer for the third time this season sucked the oxygen out of the visitor’s dugout Saturday and gave the appearance that everything was about to fall apart. Clearly, this team had other ideas.

The Jays didn’t wilt. Instead, their prolific offence came out hot less than 24 hours later and never looked back. Despite falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, the Jays scored three runs in the second and two more in the third en route to an 8-3 win. The message was clear: These guys aren’t going down without a fight.

“Obviously (Saturday) night’s game and the day before were tough losses, but we came back and won today,” said Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez, who went 3-for-4 with a homer, a double and a pair of runs scored. “That’s all that matters. What’s in the past is in the past. The next two games we have in Washington, we’ll try to win them both and try to go home in a good spot, try to keep rolling.”

Hernandez wasn’t the only standout on offence in the series finale. Marcus Semien, Randal Grichuk and Corey Dickerson also homered, while No. 9 hitter Santiago Espinal had three hits and catcher Alejandro Kirk chipped in with a two-run double. It marked the sixth time this month the Jays scored at least seven runs.

Sunday’s performance was exactly what the Jays needed before they enter a soft spot of their schedule. After going 3-4 on in Los Angeles and Seattle, they have an opportunity to regroup with an day off Monday, followed by a two-game series against the reeling Washington Nationals and then another day off.

This stretch should buy the Jays time as they assess the severity of Springer’s latest injury. In the immediate aftermath of his ill-fated attempt at a highlight-reel catch, it looked like he might be done for the year. Springer grabbed his left leg and rolled around the ground in pain after crashing into the wall. As he limped off, multiple Jays were seen hanging their heads in disbelief.

The news after the game was more uplifting. X-rays on Springer’s left ankle were negative, and he was diagnosed with a sprain. Before leaving the park, he stopped by manager Charlie Montoyo’s office to declare: “Hey man, good news, I’ll be all right.” The following day, the update was even better with word that Springer was moving around well as he continues to receive treatment. No additional tests were required, at least not yet.

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Springer is listed as day to day, but it seems unlikely that he will be available for the upcoming series in Washington. If the Jays hold him out of interleague play, Springer will have five days off before the Jays return home for a series against Detroit. That’s not a lot of time to recover, but the hope is it will be enough.

“Good improvement, he’s doing a lot better, which is great news,” Montoyo said. “Of course, we’re off tomorrow, so he’ll get more treatment and we’ll see how he is by Tuesday or Wednesday.”

Sunday’s win pulled the Jays within 4 1/2 games of both wild-card spots, currently held by Boston and Oakland. The Jays trail the Yankees by two games and are a full game ahead of Seattle. Despite a recent winning streak, the Jays’ march to the post-season remains an uphill battle because their competitors have been playing just as well, if not better, for most of the month. The margin for error the rest of the way is small.

A loss to the Mariners would not have meant the season was over but it would have felt like the beginning of the end. The Jays expect more out of themselves than that and Sunday’s victory proved this group is still capable of overcoming adversity. Sunday was one of the first times that skill was put to the test but it won’t be the last. After all, that’s what meaningful baseball late in the year is all about.

Gregor Chisholm is a Toronto-based baseball columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @GregorChisholm or reach him via email: gchisholm@thestar.ca