Vlad Guerrero Jr. and the Blue Jays tee off on the Orioles — teeing up a Sunday to remember

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This article was published 02/10/2021 (1493 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There was something, or rather someone, missing from this remarkable late-season run by the never-quit Blue Jays. As they sprinted to the finish, the man they relied upon to lead the charge all year was hanging out at the back of the pack, blending into a sea of blue.

Not anymore.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the American League MVP candidate and face of the franchise, returned with a vengeance on Saturday. When the Jays were looking to set the tone early in another must-win game against the Baltimore Orioles, their best player stepped up and delivered.

The two-run homer in the first inning off lefty John Means laid the groundwork for what would become a blowout 10-1 victory. His 47th of the year coming on a swing so violent that Guerrero appeared to take all his frustrations from the last couple of weeks and fire them into another orbit alongside a baseball that presumably is no longer intact.

The blast, which travelled as estimated 450 feet, snapped a streak of 13 games without a homer. It also followed a stretch in which the Dominican had just three hits over 32 at-bats. That didn’t seem to matter much during recent wins, but in losses to the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees the level of angst was palpable, even for someone who is notoriously laid back.

Guerrero, who finished 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs, can forget all about that now. It’s water under the bridge after hitting a key double in Friday’s 6-4 victory over the Orioles and creating the spark that ignited the Jays’ offence and kept their hopes very much alive with only one game left in the regular season.

“I started learning that last year,” Guerrero said through an interpreter when asked about dealing with the highs and lows while battling for a playoff spot. “Remember, the pitchers make adjustments, so I have to make adjustments also. That’s part of the game. Hey, I’m just going to continue being myself out there and continuing to make adjustments.”

The third-year all-star earned a piece of major league history with the home run, tying Eddie Mathews (1953) for the most by a player in his age-22 season or younger. After Teoscar Hernández, George Springer, Bo Bichette and Danny Jansen added homers of their own, the Jays set a franchise record for a single season with 258.

The game turned into a laugher before the third inning was even over. Alek Manoah put the finishing touches on an incredible rookie season by limiting the Orioles to just one run across seven frames while striking out 10. The Jays improved to 16-4 in games he’s started and by pitching deep into a blowout win, ensured the high-leverage relievers will be well rested for Sunday’s potential season finale.

Despite the lopsided score, the Jays still had a scare. Unlike Friday night, the drama wasn’t created by the bullpen, but by another potential injury. As Guerrero doubled to the left-field corner in the sixth, he appeared to twist his ankle while rounding first base. He made it to second, but the Jays dugout noticed there was an issue and two pitches later the training staff ran onto the field alongside manager Charlie Montoyo to check on their star player. The good news is that Guerrero stayed in the game and later said he didn’t expect it would be an issue.

“One thing I told him, actually both him and Teoscar: One of the reasons we’re in this spot is because of what they’ve done all year,” Montoyo said of Guerrero’s breakout game. “One is going to be the silver slugger, the other has a chance to be the MVP. So, just have fun because you earned the right to be in this time and in this moment.”

The playoff scenarios became even more complicated Saturday. The Yankees left Toronto on Thursday requiring just one win vs. the Rays to clinch a wild-card spot. After a 12-2 blowout loss at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, they’re still searching. The Boston Red Sox, meanwhile, picked up a 5-3 win over the Nationals. That means the Red Sox and Yankees are tied for the two wild cards, with the Jays one game back and the Seattle Mariners still alive heading into their late game against the Angels.

The Jays will wake up not knowing when or where their next game will be played after Sunday’s finale. It could be in Boston, New York, possibly Seattle or even Toronto. If things don’t go their way, it won’t be until next spring, when they return to Dunedin, Fla. to begin the march toward another season.

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The Jays will need some help for their season to continue. If it does, considering the strength of their lineup and starting rotation, they could be as much of a threat as anybody.

“They all can hit a home run at any point in the game, they’re extremely aggressive, they all have a great approach,” Manoah said of his teammates. “If we get in, I think they’re just going to keep swinging that bat and continue to feel confident at the plate. And our arms are going to go do their job, and we’re going to try and take this thing as far as we can.”

It’s total chaos, and if you’re a baseball fan you must love it. The Jays love it, too, after they were left for dead following a series loss to the Yankees, only to follow with two wins against the Orioles while a lot of their rivals were losing.

One game to go and still so many possibilities on the table. September baseball doesn’t get any better than this.

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