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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-valdimir-guerror-jr-feat-win-orioles');   ga('set', 'title', 'Valdimir Guerrero Jr. accomplishes incredible feat in win against Orioles');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Vladimir-Guerrero-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Valdimir Guerrero Jr. accomplishes incredible feat in win against Orioles</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T19:58:24-07:00">September 12th, 7:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T19:58:24-07:00">September 12th, 7:58pm</time><address><a>Zachary Draves</a>Zachary Draves is a sportswriter and broadcaster based in the Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa. Zachary covers a variety of different sports as well as sports history, sport and society, and sport and culture. He is also a professor of sociology.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>At crunch time, the Toronto Blue Jays are marching towards October with a vengeance. Particularly, they are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/3-blue-jays-who-must-step-up-alongside-vladimir-guerrero-jr-in-playoffs" rel="noopener">relying on the power of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.</a> to get them to the promised land. </p><p>On Friday, that was <a href="https://x.com/mlb/status/1966682516321980543?s=46&amp;t=T_IBUDDEVxY-F9B1U7XHFw" rel="noopener">proven to be the case</a> in a 6-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles, per MLB. Not only did the Blue Jays win, but Guerrero was able to get on base five times throughout the game. </p><p>Furthermore, he went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate. As a result, the Blue Jays are 85-62 and are ahead of the New York Yankees by three games in the American League East. At this point, Guerrero is batting .301 with 159 hits, 23 home runs, and 79 RBIs. </p><p>Last week, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-vladimir-guerrero-jr-yankees-no-doubt-homer" rel="noopener">Guerrero came through in the clutch against the Yankees</a>. </p><p>With the additional win, the Blue Jays’ magic number to clinch the division is now 13. Also, Toronto is in the midst of a three-game series against the Orioles. Afterward, they go up against the Tampa Bay Rays, Kansas City Royals, and Boston Red Sox to close out the season. </p><p>If Toronto manages to win the division and potentially the World Series, it would be in part due to the exploits of Guerrero.</p><h2><b>The Blue Jays don’t get to where they are with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. </b></h2><p>Throughout this year, Guerrero Jr. has managed to live up to expectations overall. In April, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-vladimir-guerrero-jr-500-million-contract-extension-325-million-shocker" rel="noopener">Guerrero signed a 14-year $500 million contract</a> with the franchise. </p><p>Essentially, Toronto went out of its way to ensure that he is the franchise player for more than a decade. Plus, looking to build the team around him to remain in contention. He has led the way with his dominance at the plate and his overall consistency. </p><p>Furthermore, Guerrero Jr. has solidified his position as the team leader. He has become more vocal and exuded more confidence in that role. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Valdimir Guerrero Jr. accomplishes incredible feat in win against Orioles

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/why-next-two-months-could-determine-bo-bichettes-future-toronto');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why the next two months could determine Bo Bichette’s future in Toronto');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Toronto-Blue-Jays-shortstop-Bo-Bichette-1.jpg"><figcaption>Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why the next two months could determine Bo Bichette’s future in Toronto</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T18:54:05-07:00">September 12th, 6:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T18:54:05-07:00">September 12th, 6:54pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Blue Jays lead the American League East over the New York Yankees with less than 20 games left. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-john-schneider-needs-a-beer-after-wild-win-over-astros">John Schneider has been riding with his team</a> amid a dramatic finish. However, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Co. continue to come through in big moments. However, one of the team’s key players, Bo Bichette, could be the star that dominates the Blue Jays’ offseason.</p><p>Bichette is an unrestricted free agent this winter if <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-bo-bichette-potential-toronto-extenstion-amid-trade-rumors">he and Toronto cannot come to an agreement on an extension</a>. After Guerrero Jr. got his lucrative deal early in the year, Blue Jays fans thought that Bichette was next in line. Months later, both sides have made very little effort when it comes to negotiating the shortstop’s next deal. Now, experts doubt if they come to a compromise.</p><p>If the Blue Jays let Bichette walk in free agency, they will say goodbye to a key piece of the infield. However, Toronto’s shortstop suffered an injury that throws his future into uncertainty moving forward. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-john-schneider-gets-brutally-honest-on-bo-bichette-injury">He is on Toronto’s injured list for the time being</a>, with a chance that he will be back before the end of the regular season. The Blue Jays need him on the field to reach their full potential.</p><p>Bichette’s career has taken an interesting turn over the past few seasons. He went from a bona-fide All-Star talent alongside Guerrero Jr. to a relative question mark in the infield. After another inconsistent season, there is more talk about Bichette going somewhere else this winter than staying in Toronto for the long haul. Him leaving would change the team’s outlook drastically.</p><p>Schneider has spoken highly of Bichette this season. However, the shortstop has not lived up to the standards he set with his play. The next two months are crucial.</p><h2>Bichette’s production is down, but his fit in Toronto is perfect</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Toronto-Blue-Jays-shortstop-Bo-Bichette.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Guerrero Jr. joined the Blue Jays as a free agent in 2015. Toronto drafted Bichette one year later. After almost a decade playing together for the organization, the star duo has led the team back into the inner circle of contenders. Each of them have endured hot and cold streaks under Schneider during their careers. However, both are bright points in the team’s history.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-bo-bichette-team-comments-winning-streak">Bichette has been honest about his performance so far in 2025</a>. Despite his struggles, though, he remains a key part of the Blue Jays’ attack. He may not be leading off for Schneider any more, but he led a formidable heart of Toronto’s batting order when he was healthy. Bichette fits like a glove in the Blue Jays’ roster and would be a difficult player to replace if the team had to.</p><p>Bichette’s numbers are modest this season compared to his production in the past. Still, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/38904/bo-bichette" rel="noopener">44 doubles and 18 home runs</a> both rank near the top of Toronto’s lineup. He also leads the team in batting average(.311) and total at-bats(582). He is a couple seasons removed from his last All-Star appearance, but Bichette is still capable of swinging one of the hottest bats in the league.</p><p>Bichette’s next contract is tough to predict. His injuries in Toronto don’t help narrow things down, but it would be tough for the Blue Jays to replace him. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/3-blue-jays-trade-block-2025-deadline">Andres Gimenez has disappointed in Toronto this season</a>. If the team exits the playoffs early, the front office might have no choice but to bring Bichette back and hope for a bounce back season from the shortstop in 2026.</p><h2>If the Blue Jays don’t pay Bichette, someone else will</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Toronto-Blue-Jays-shortstop-Bo-Bichette.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/2025-mlb-trade-deadline-ranking-10-best-players-potentially-available">Bichette was a popular name in trade deadline rumors</a>. Multiple teams kicked the tires in Toronto to see if the front office would part with his expiring contract. The shortstop survived the deadline, keeping him at Schneider’s disposal for the rest of the season. Despite the fact that he did not get moved via trade doesn’t mean that other teams are done pursuing him.</p><p>One team that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/2-free-agents-pirates-must-pursue-mlb-offseason">could use Bichette’s services is the Pittsburgh Pirates</a>. Paul Skenes is in desperate need of help from his offense, and adding a shortstop like Bichette could help the Pirates rebound at the plate. Regardless of how the Blue Jays feel about the veteran infielder, there are teams around Major League Baseball willing to hand him a big payday if he makes it to free agency.</p><p>Bichette has helped make MLB history this season amid his struggles. With him off the field for the foreseeable future, the Blue Jays don’t have as much to work with when deciding who to keep this winter. If Toronto succeeds over the course of the next two months without him playing a big role, he could be on a new team next season. If not, things will get really interesting really fast.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why the next two months could determine Bo Bichette’s future in Toronto

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/3-blue-jays-who-must-step-up-alongside-vladimir-guerrero-jr-in-playoffs');   ga('set', 'title', '3 Blue Jays who must step up alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in playoffs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/George-Springer-leads-the-Blue-Jays-in-home-runs.jpg"><figcaption>Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>3 Blue Jays who must step up alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in playoffs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T18:51:19-07:00">September 12th, 6:51pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T18:52:02-07:00">September 12th, 6:52pm</time><address><a>Steve Silverman</a>Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including "Who's Better, Who's Best in the NFL." He has won multiple awards from the Pro Football Writers of America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Blue Jays have been leading the American League East since June and they have an excellent chance to own the division title before the end of the season.</p><p>Once that goal is accomplished, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-kevin-gausman-shouts-out-fans-after-stellar-performance-vs-astros">Blue Jays manager John Schneider</a> will have his mind set on helping his team succeed in the playoffs. The Blue Jays can put together a powerful lineup that is capable of outscoring opponents. First baseman Vladimir Guerrero may be the best and most dependable bat in Schneider’s lineup. However, he can’t do it by himself.</p><p>The Blue Jays need at least three other players who can deliver big hits and clutch plays if they are going to be successful in the playoffs.</p><p>One of those players is veteran George Springer. He has been a sensational postseason player in his career with the Houston Astros and one of the reasons the Blue Jays brought him into the fold prior to the 2021 season was his outstanding postseason hitting and leadership. Springer homered <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/springe01.shtml">19 times</a> and drove in 38 runs when the Astros competed in the playoffs and World Series</p><p>He has been to the playoffs twice with the Blue Jays and they were eliminated in the Wild Card round both times. He has not homered or driven in a run in the postseason for Toronto</p><p>Springer has been a dynamic hitter this season with 28 home runs and 73 RBI while slashing .297/..391/.544. Springer has been an excellent clutch hitter as he goes to the plate with an idea of how to attack when the Blue Jays need a big hit.</p><h2><b>Guerrero is a power threat every time he comes to the plate</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Vladimir-Guerrero-Jr.-is-capable-of-carrying-the-Blue-Jays-offense-on-his-shoulders-1.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While Springer has the team lead in home runs, opposing pitchers have to fear Guerrero every time he comes to the plate. Guerrero has the tendency to threaten the scoreboard in nearly every clutch situation.</p><p>The first baseman is slashing.301/.393/.494 with 23 home runs and 79 RBI. He also excels with his plate discipline, racking up 76 bases on balls this season. Guerrero needs to be the anchor of the Blue Jays lineup in the postseason.</p><p>After Springer and Guerrero, another key for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/1-red-sox-player-who-must-step-up-in-al-east-race-with-blue-jays-yankees">the Blue Jay</a>s is shortstop Bo Bichette. He is currently out with a knee injury, but it is not expected that he will miss a significant length of time.</p><p>Bichette is one of the best hitters in the American League and he is having an excellent year at the plate. He is slashing .311/.357/.483 with 18 home runs and 94 RBI. Bichette needs to keep up his production in the postseason and show that he will make contact when he comes up in clutch situations.</p><p>Catcher Alejandro Kirk is another key factor for the Blue Jays. He may not look like a major league player because he is short and squatty, but Kirk is one of the most dangerous hitters in the American League when the game is on the line.</p><p>Kirk is slashing .289/.357/.418 with 12 home runs and 65 RBI. He also has 45 walks to his credit, and he has shown he is one of the toughest outs when the game reaches the late stages.</p><p>He excels at fouling off tough pitches and extending at bats. In addition to frustrating opposing pitchers, Kirk provides the Blue Jays with a boatload of confidence because he is an outstanding professional hitter.</p><p>If Guerrero can lead the way in the playoffs and he gets solid support from Springer, Bichette and Kirk, the Blue Jays could be a significant threat to reach the World Series.</p><p> </p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

3 Blue Jays who must step up alongside Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in playoffs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/1-blue-jays-player-step-up-al-east-race-yankees-red-sox');   ga('set', 'title', '1 Blue Jays player who must step up in AL East race with Yankees, Red Sox');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Toronto-Blue-Jays-reliever-Jeff-Hoffman.jpg"><figcaption>John Froschauer-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>1 Blue Jays player who must step up in AL East race with Yankees, Red Sox</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T08:02:09-07:00">September 12th, 8:02am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T08:02:09-07:00">September 12th, 8:02am</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut-based sports journalist with over five years of professional experience. After graduating from Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism, he has covered every sport from fencing to football in the online and print medium. Dan hopes to see his beloved Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>With their 84-62 record, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-max-scherzer-reacts-to-intensifying-al-east-race-after-yankees-series">Toronto Blue Jays hold a three-game lead over the competition in the AL East race</a>. However, they are facing mounting pressure from both the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/how-blue-jays-win-al-east-red-sox">Blue Jays must be on top of their game</a> to actually take home the division crown.</p><p>Throughout the season, Toronto has relied on a consistent offense that leads the league with a .268 batting average. Led by players like Vladimir Guerrero, Bo Bichette and George Springer, the Blue Jays rank fourth (696) in runs scored. On the flip side, Toronto’s pitching staff ranks fifth in both strikeouts (1,292) and 10th in batting average against (.240).</p><p>But come playoff time, the Blue Jays won’t rest on their laurels. Everyone will be back at a 0-0 record. And if Toronto really wants to be successful, they’ll need closer Jeff Hoffman at the top of his game.</p><h2><b>Jeff Hoffman’s debut with Blue Jays </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Hoffman-Blue-Jays.jpg"><figcaption>Katie Stratman-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Blue Jays signed Hoffman to a three-year, $33 million contract prior to the 2025 season. In his first 65 games with the team, the closer holds a 4.76 ERA and a 79/21 K/BB ratio. He has converted a career-high 30 saves.</p><p>That stat line alone shows that Hoffman has been treading rocky water at times. Prior to the campaign, he hadn’t made more than 10 saves, so at the very least he has proven he can work the ninth if called upon. However, his current ERA would be the highest he put up in his career since his 9.28 mark in 2020. It would already rank as his highest ERA amongst seasons with 30+ appearances.</p><p>Perhaps most damning is the fact that Hoffman has blown seven saves, tied for third-most in MLB. Come the playoffs, Toronto cannot afford that kind of error. When their closer’s name is called in the ninth inning, they must be confident he is ready to lock down the opposing lineup. That wasn’t the case in his last appearance on Sept. 10. He took a loss after allowing a run to the Houston Astros.</p><p>Still, there has been plenty of good from Hoffman in his debut. He was named to his first All-Star Game in 2024 and has shown flashes of brilliance. With 30 saves, Toronto doesn’t want to take him out of his ninth inning role. But Hoffman must be more consistent come playoffs, there are no room for error.</p><h2><b>Closers win championships </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jeff-Hoffman.jpg"><figcaption>Mark Smith-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It isn’t a prerequisite to have a dominant closer to win the World Series. Some teams consider it a luxury. But if your closer strikes fear into the opposition and backs it up with his pitching, it’s a difficult matchup for any trailing team entering the final frame trailing.</p><p>The 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers took on a closer by committee approach with both Evan Phillips and Daniel Hudson recording 10+ saves. But in 2023, the Texas Rangers clearly settled in on Will Smith as their closer, recording 22 saves. He may have  only put up 12 saves, but Ryan Pressley was the clear closing option for the Houston Astros in 2022 while Smith left no doubts about his role with the Atlanta Braves in 2021, recording 37 saves.</p><p>These are all just recent examples. Players like Mariano Rivera on the Yankees and Jonathan Papelbon and Craig Kimbrel on the Red Sox have massively swung World Series odds in those teams favors. The Chicago Cubs went out an acquired closer Aroldis Chapman before ending the curse and winning the World Series in 2016.</p><p>Hoffman may not be any of those pitchers. His 2025 performance hasn’t been up to that caliber at least. But 30 saves isn’t something to scoff at. There have been scuffles, but Hoffman has proven he can get it done in the ninth. If he can find a bit more consistency in his outings, Toronto will have a dangerous force in the backend of their bullpen.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

1 Blue Jays player who must step up in AL East race with Yankees, Red Sox

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-kevin-gausman-shouts-out-fans-after-stellar-performance-vs-astros');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman shouts out fans after stellar performance vs. Astros');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Toronto-Blue-Jays-starting-pitcher-Kevin-Gausman.jpg"><figcaption>John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman shouts out fans after stellar performance vs. Astros</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T17:52:35-07:00">September 11th, 5:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T17:52:35-07:00">September 11th, 5:52pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Blue Jays have been at the top of the American League East for weeks. However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-toronto-recalls-pitcher-al-east-push">John Schneider and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are competing with the New York Yankees</a> for the division. Heading into Thursday’s game against the Houston Astros, the Blue Jays needed a win to get back on track. Luckily for them, it was Kevin Gausman’s turn in the starting rotation.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-kevin-gausman-ovation-astros">Gausman barely struggled at all, throwing a complete game shutout</a> in front of his home crowd. Fans showered applause down on him when the game finished, appreciating the dominant performance he treated them to. The win gives Toronto some much-needed breathing room in the division, even if the Yankees are still lurking behind them in the standings.</p><p>Schneider has shouted out the Blue Jays’ fanbase all season. Toronto’s season took a turn for the better after Guerrero Jr. got his contract extension. Despite the team’s confidence, its fans brought a level of energy that seeped into their team. Gausman, for one, shared his appreciation for Blue Jays’ fans. To him, the crowd could not have given him <a href="https://x.com/BlueJays/status/1966289121930052055" rel="noopener">any more reason to play well</a>.</p><p>“Hats off(to the fans), that was incredible,” Gausman said. “I thought I was gonna be throwing 105, that’s how amazing I felt out there. That’s all we want as a player.”</p><p>Gausman showed out in one of his last starts of the regular season. However, he has a good chance to pitch on his home field in a playoff series. If the standings hold, Toronto will have home field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. Having as many games as possible in front of their fans will do nothing but help Gausman and the rest of the Blue Jays.</p><p>Guerrero Jr. needs others to step up around him for the team to reach its goals. If that happens, the sky’s the limit for Toronto and its championship aspirations.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman shouts out fans after stellar performance vs. Astros

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-toronto-alek-manoah-injury-move-playoff-push');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blue Jays make Alek Manoah injury move amid playoff push');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Alek-Manoah-on-the-mound.jpg"><figcaption>Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>Blue Jays make Alek Manoah injury move amid playoff push</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T17:21:14-07:00">September 11th, 5:21pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T17:21:14-07:00">September 11th, 5:21pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-kevin-gausman-ovation-astros">Toronto Blue Jays, after their 6-0 win over the Houston Astros</a>, announced a <a href="https://x.com/BlueJays/status/1966265522842120521" rel="noopener">pair of significant roster moves</a> Thursday as they continue their push for the postseason. The team reinstated right-hander Alek Manoah from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Buffalo, and in a corresponding move, Toronto designated infielder Orelvis Martinez for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.</p><p>League rules dictated the timing of Manoah’s reinstatement. The 27-year-old had exhausted his 30-day rehab assignment, as well as three 10-day extensions, which required the Blue Jays to either activate him or return him to the active roster. The decision comes as Toronto remains in the hunt for its first AL East title since 2015.</p><p>Manoah is working his way back from UCL reconstruction surgery that ended his 2024 season in June. His last Triple-A outing came on September 6, when he threw 5.2 innings on 90 pitches, allowing six hits, seven runs (five unearned), two homers, one walk, and striking out five. Command issues aside, he has shown flashes of progress during rehab, posting a 3.09 ERA at Buffalo despite 12 walks in 23 1/3 innings.</p><p>The right-hander’s early MLB career featured a rapid rise. He debuted in 2021 with a 3.22 ERA across 20 starts, finishing eighth in AL Rookie of the Year voting. In 2022, he emerged as one of the league’s top arms, earning an All-Star selection and posting a 2.24 ERA in 31 starts, good for a third-place finish in the AL Cy Young race. However, his 2023 campaign unraveled with a 6.36 ERA over 13 starts, leading to multiple demotions and eventual controversy over whether <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-toronto-dealt-crushing-alek-manoah-injury-update">his struggles were injury-related</a>. In total, Manoah has appeared in 75 MLB games, recording a 3.34 ERA with 412 strikeouts in 420 innings.</p><p>The corresponding roster casualty is Martinez, once considered a star prospect. Signed in 2018 with a $3.5 million bonus, the second-largest international signing in franchise history, he rose quickly through Toronto’s system. He produced 28 homers in 2021, 30 in 2022, and 28 more in 2023, ranking inside the Blue Jays’ top-10 prospects from 2020 through 2024 and peaking at No. 2.</p><p>Martinez’s ascent, however, was derailed in 2024. After a brief MLB debut in June of that season, where he went 1-for-3, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-star-prospect-suspended-80-games-peds">he received an 80-game suspension</a> for testing positive for Clomiphene, a banned substance. Since returning, his production has plummeted. Across 99 Triple-A games in 2025, the 23-year-old slashed just .176/.288/.348 with 13 homers and 112 strikeouts in 394 plate appearances.</p><p>The infielder’s decline in performance, combined with Manoah’s mandatory activation, forced Toronto’s decision. Martinez will now go through waivers, where his age, positional flexibility, and prior power track record could attract rebuilding clubs. If unclaimed, the Blue Jays can outright him to Buffalo, though he may elect free agency in the offseason.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blue Jays make Alek Manoah injury move amid playoff push

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/houston-astros/astros-news-streak-continues-yordan-alvarez-blue-jays');   ga('set', 'title', 'Unfortunate streak continues for Astros’ Yordan Alvarez vs. Blue Jays');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Yordan-Alvarez-brings-power-to-the-Astros-when-he-is-healthy-1.jpg"><figcaption> Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Unfortunate streak continues for Astros’ Yordan Alvarez vs. Blue Jays</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T15:34:02-07:00">September 11th, 3:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T17:36:18-07:00">September 11th, 5:36pm</time><address><a>Abdullah Imran</a>Abdullah Imran works as an Associate Editor for All Sports at ClutchPoints. He’s been a sports fan his entire life and enjoys writing about every sport. He has spent three years in sports journalism and loves analyzing games. In his free time, he very much enjoys binge-watching shows and playing video games.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-kevin-gausman-ovation-astros">Houston Astros’ bats went quiet again Thursday at Rogers Centre</a>, as Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman turned in one of the best outings of his career. Houston had no answers at the plate and dropped the series finale, 6-0, their sixth shutout loss since August 1, and Yordan Alvarez’s prolonged futility against Gausman reached a new low.</p><p>Alvarez entered the matchup 0-for-12 lifetime against Gausman with eight strikeouts and two walks, the most at-bats he had against any pitcher without recording a hit. That drought <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/astros/article/houston-toronto-blue-jays-score-recap-21042536.php" rel="noopener">stretched to 0-for-16</a> after Alvarez went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, including a called third strike on a low fastball and a pair of weak popups, per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. In total, he has now struck out nine times in 16 career plate appearances against Gausman.</p><p>The Blue Jays’ ace was in complete control throughout. He needed just 100 pitches, 79 of them strikes, to secure his fourth career complete game and second career shutout. He struck out nine, walked one, and retired the final 17 Astros he faced. The only hits allowed were Jeremy Pena’s single to lead off the fourth inning and Carlos Correa’s follow-up single. Gausman promptly escaped by inducing a popup from Jose Altuve and striking out Jesus Sanchez to strand both runners.</p><p>Offensively, Toronto gave Gausman more than enough support early. George Springer opened the first inning with an infield single before scoring on Nathan Lukes’ RBI double. Moments later, Addison Barger lifted a high popup into shallow right field that fell between Sanchez, Pena, and Altuve for a run-scoring double.</p><p>Davis Schneider extended the lead in the second with his 11th home run of the season and later added a sacrifice fly in the fourth to score Daulton Varsho, who had tripled. Barger finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Lukes and Varsho also collected extra-base hits.</p><p>Astros starter Cristian Javier allowed four runs on six hits across six innings, striking out six. His ERA ticked upward after a second straight loss despite retiring his final nine batters of the outing. Reliever Lance McCullers Jr. surrendered two more runs in the eighth to put the game further out of reach.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/al-playoff-picture-mariners-rangers-on-astros-tail">The defeat has dropped the Astros to 79-68</a>, with their division lead over the Seattle Mariners reduced to just a half-game. Houston has now lost four straight series, going 4-8 in that stretch against the Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, and Blue Jays.</p><p>Since August 1, the Astros have averaged just 3.84 runs per game, the lowest mark in the majors over that span, and scored three or fewer runs in 20 of 38 contests.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Unfortunate streak continues for Astros’ Yordan Alvarez vs. Blue Jays

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-kevin-gausman-ovation-astros');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman gets playoff-caliber ovation after shutting down Astros');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Tyler-Heineman-congratulates-Kevin-Gausman-after-his-complete-game-victory.jpg"><figcaption>John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman gets playoff-caliber ovation after shutting down Astros</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T14:58:51-07:00">September 11th, 2:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T15:22:16-07:00">September 11th, 3:22pm</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In a potential playoff preview, Toronto Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman did not back down against the Houston Astros. The right-handed hurler turned in a sparkling complete-game shutout performance, striking out nine Astros and allowing just one walk and two hits. The Blue Jays earned a 6-0 win as Gausman led the way, and fans were pleased with the pitcher’s performance.</p><p><a href="https://x.com/Sportsnet/status/1966251168834965785" rel="noopener">Video via</a> Sportsnet:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">WELL-DESERVED STANDING OVATION FOR KEVIN GAUSMAN 👏 <a href="https://t.co/S7DbAr3ibr">pic.twitter.com/S7DbAr3ibr</a></p><p>— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/1966251168834965785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Rogers Centre fans gave Gausman a loud standing ovation following his spectacular effort. It was a big victory as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-toronto-ties-dodgers-mlb-best-stat-astros-stunner">Blue Jays hope to win the American League East</a>. After the game, Gausman <a href="https://x.com/Sportsnet/status/1966253561492447357" rel="noopener">addressed his performance</a> and the fans, via Sportsnet as well.</p><p>“That was awesome,” Gausman said of the initial ovation he received when he returned for the ninth inning. “Hats off to you guys (the fans). That was incredible. Just trying to keep my emotions in check during all that. Honestly, I thought I was going to be throwing 105. That’s how amazing I felt out there.</p><p>“Thanks, you guys. I mean, that was awesome. That’s all we want as a player.”</p><p>If Gausman continues to pitch like he did on Thursday, the Blue Jays will be a difficult team to defeat in October. Toronto features a talented squad, but a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-bo-bichette-placed-injured-list-amid-al-east-race">recent injury to Bo Bichette</a> led some to wonder if the ballclub would hold on to the division lead. The pitching will need to perform especially well — something that certainly occurred on Thursday.</p><p>So what was working for Gausman against the Astros?</p><p>“I was just pounding the zone,” Gausman said. “I don’t know what my first-pitch-strike percentage was, but it was probably 90 percent; I mean, I feel like every hitter I was 0-1. If I can do that, I’m gonna be pretty tough to beat.”</p><p>The Blue Jays will look to continue playing well in their upcoming series against the Baltimore Orioles — which is scheduled to begin on Friday night in Toronto.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blue Jays’ Kevin Gausman gets playoff-caliber ovation after shutting down Astros

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-anthony-santander-rehab-assignment-playoffs');   ga('set', 'title', 'Anthony Santander set to begin rehab assignment as Blue Jays prepare for playoffs');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Anthony-Santander.jpg"><figcaption>Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Anthony Santander set to begin rehab assignment as Blue Jays prepare for playoffs</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-11T10:32:03-07:00">September 11th, 10:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-11T10:32:03-07:00">September 11th, 10:32am</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut-based sports journalist with over five years of professional experience. After graduating from Central Connecticut State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism, he has covered every sport from fencing to football in the online and print medium. Dan hopes to see his beloved Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-toronto-dodgers-deferred-money-anthony-santander-signing">Blue Jays signed slugger Anthony Santander to a $92.5 million contrac</a>t to give their lineup some extra firepower. However,<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-anthony-santander-closer-return-torontos-postseason-push"> injuries have taken a major toll on Santander’s debut in Toronto</a>.</p><p>Now, the outfielder is <a href="https://x.com/ShiDavidi/status/1966172381564772432" rel="noopener">set to begin a rehab assignment at the Triple-A level</a> on Thursday, via Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. He is poised to be the designated hitter in his first few appearances before advancing to play the outfield corners.</p><p>As Toronto watches his rehab assignment, they’ll be focusing on Santander’s timing. They want to get him back on the diamond, but at the same time they won’t risk re-injury. Especially with how much time Santander has been on the shelf. If he is going to make an impact at this point in the season, the Blue Jays are hoping it comes in the postseason.</p><p>This time around, Santander is dealing with both a shoulder injury and back tightness. His shoulder is what put him on the injured list, while the back tightness creeped up afterwards. Regardless, Santander seems like he is mostly past the injuries, seeing as he is starting a rehab assignment. But Toronto will remain cautious.</p><p>In the 50 games he has played in 2025, Santander has hit .179 with six home runs and 18 RBI. Clearly, it hasn’t been the debut the Blue Jays have been hoping for.</p><p>However, Santander earned that near $93 million contract after hitting 44 home runs and 102 RBI with the Baltimore Orioles in 2024. The Blue Jays know they won’t get that production in 2025, but they believe his bat can be a sparkplug should it come around.</p><p>Santander’s rehab assignment will be extremely telling, both for how long it’ll be and how impactful the outfielder will be when he does make his return. Based on his contract and where he’ll slot in the lineup, the Blue Jays are hopeful he makes a crucial difference.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Anthony Santander set to begin rehab assignment as Blue Jays prepare for playoffs

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-john-schneider-stance-jeff-hoffman-costly-hr');   ga('set', 'title', 'John Schneider shares stance on Jeff Hoffman after costly HR');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jeff-Hoffman.jpg"><figcaption>Mark Smith-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>John Schneider shares stance on Jeff Hoffman after costly HR</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-10T22:29:36-07:00">September 10th, 10:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-10T22:45:03-07:00">September 10th, 10:45pm</time><address><a>Mike Gianakos</a>Mike Gianakos is the former editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, where he also spearheaded the video department and event production. He is a longtime podcaster and even longer suffering NY Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Astros</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Blue Jays failed to keep the momentum going after a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-walkoff-astros">wild 10th-inning walk-off win</a> against the Houston Astros in the series opener. Toronto was on the verge of another comeback in Wednesday’s game. The team entered the eighth inning down 2-0 and tied things up heading into the ninth.</p><p>But Jeff Hoffman couldn’t keep the Astros off the board. The Blue Jays closer added to his single-season <a href="https://x.com/SNstats/status/1965954853001376073" rel="noopener">franchise record</a> by allowing his 13th home run in the ninth inning or later, per Sportsnet Stats.</p><p>Despite another disastrous outing, manager John Schneider is <a href="https://x.com/KeeganMatheson/status/1965959627230863361" rel="noopener">keeping the faith</a> in Hoffman. “I still trust him,” Schneider said, per MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson. “He’s been throwing the ball really well and had one bad pitch tonight.”</p><h2><b>John Schneider defends Jeff Hoffman after Blue Jays’ loss</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Jeff-Hoffman-2.jpg"><figcaption>John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Hoffman got the ball in a 2-2 game in the top of the ninth inning. After retiring the first batter he faced, the former All-Star left a 1-1 fastball over the plate. Yainer Diaz hammered Hoffman’s offering 385 feet to left, giving Houston a 3-2 lead.</p><p>The Blue Jays had no more heroics left in them after Tuesday’s comeback. And Bryan Abreu retired the side in order for his fifth save of the season. Toronto has now lost three of the last four games after dropping two straight against the New York Yankees.</p><p>Hoffman’s collapse against Houston was similar to his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-jeff-hoffman-take-after-disaster-brewers">disaster against the Brewers</a> on August 30. The righty reliever took over a 1-1 game in the top of the ninth inning. He then allowed back-to-back home runs as Milwaukee went on to win 4-1.</p><p>Despite the recent skid, Toronto maintains a three-game lead over the Yankees in the AL East. The team has World Series aspirations this season. However, Ken Rosenthal believes the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-insider-honest-admission-big-problem">bullpen is a “big problem” for the Blue Jays</a>.</p><p>Hoffman has the fourth-most blown saves in the majors this season. And that doesn’t include the times he’s lost the lead when the game is tied. But the Blue Jays have a talent for comebacks. Toronto earned its 43rd comeback win of the year on Tuesday, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-toronto-ties-dodgers-mlb-best-stat-astros-stunner">tying the Los Angeles Dodgers for the MLB lead</a>.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

John Schneider shares stance on Jeff Hoffman after costly HR

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-commentator-rips-yankees');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blue Jays commentator openly rips Yankees');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Anthony-Volpe.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Blue Jays commentator openly rips Yankees</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T23:17:00-07:00">September 9th, 11:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T23:20:24-07:00">September 9th, 11:20pm</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Blue Jays surged to a thrilling 4-3 walk-off win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night, but it wasn’t just the on-field drama that caught fans’ attention. During the live Sportsnet broadcast, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-toronto-legend-buck-martinez-releases-emotional-statement-on-cancer-diagnosis">veteran analyst Buck Martinez</a> delivered a stinging critique of the New York Yankees, sparking a social media firestorm.</p><p>As Toronto remains atop the AL East, Martinez used a break in the action to unload on New York’s flaws — defensive miscues, wild pitching, and poor fundamentals.</p><p>Popular X (formerly known as Twitter) account Awful Announcing <a href="https://x.com/awfulannouncing/status/1965621451593248887" rel="noopener">captured the viral moment</a> that lit up baseball circles online.</p><p>“The Yankees, they’re not a good team. I don’t care what their record is. They have a lot of wild pitches. They make a lot of mistakes in the field. They don’t run the bases very well.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"The Yankees, they're not a good team. I don't care what their record is. They have a lot of wild pitches. They make a lot of mistakes in the field. They don't run the bases very well." – Blue Jays commentator Buck Martinez calls down the thunder 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/hlnIpP0ygr">pic.twitter.com/hlnIpP0ygr</a></p><p>— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) <a href="https://twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1965621451593248887?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Martinez’s comment quickly went viral, drawing over 100,000 views and sparking debate between fans who praised his honesty and others who thought the criticism went too far.</p><p>The Yankees’ performance Tuesday night seemed to strongly support Martinez’s point. They fell 12-2 to the Detroit Tigers, committing multiple defensive blunders and allowing a nine-run inning. Meanwhile, Toronto stayed red-hot. Tyler Heineman’s walk-off single capped yet another dramatic comeback win in what’s become a season full of them.</p><p>The win lifted the club to 83-61, giving them a 3-game lead over both New York and the Boston Red Sox in the AL East playoff race. With the teams set to face off in a crucial October series, the Blue Jays commentator’s words could fuel one of the division’s most heated matchups in years.</p><p>Known for his no-nonsense style, Martinez rarely makes such pointed remarks on air, which made this moment stand out even more in the Toronto sports media landscape.</p><p>With the postseason a little over three weeks away, a new rivalry is heating up and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-walkoff-astros">the Blue Jays are thriving</a> in every phase of the game.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blue Jays commentator openly rips Yankees

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-john-schneider-needs-a-beer-after-wild-win-over-astros');   ga('set', 'title', 'Blue Jays manager John Schneider ‘needs a beer’ after wild win over Astros');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Blue-Jays-manager-John-Schneider-and-first-baseman-Vladimir-Guerrero-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>© John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Blue Jays manager John Schneider ‘needs a beer’ after wild win over Astros</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-09T22:33:18-07:00">September 9th, 10:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-09T22:33:18-07:00">September 9th, 10:33pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Toronto Blue Jays’ Tuesday night contest against the Houston Astros was certainly not for the faint of heart. Down 3-1 during the bottom of the ninth inning, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/isiah-kiner-falefas-full-circle-revelation-after-blue-jays-game-tying-hit-vs-astros">Blue Jays pulled a rabbit out of their hat</a> to escape with a 4-3 win in 10 innings. In the bottom of the ninth, it was Isaiah Kiner-Falefa who rescued Toronto, as he came up clutch and hit a two-run single. And then in the 10th inning, it was Tyler Heineman who did enough to drive in Myles Straw for a much-needed victory.</p><p>Leave it to the Blue Jays to have to go through the most suspenseful route to eventually secure a win over the Astros. In fact, even manager John Schneider is looking for some relief in the form of a <a href="https://x.com/KeeganMatheson/status/1965606885379428490" rel="noopener">certain liquid refreshment</a> that would help ease the tension he felt as he watched the Blue Jays rally for their 83rd win of the season in 144 contests.</p><p>“I need a beer,” Schneider said after the game, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com.</p><p>It seems like every Blue Jays fan over the age of 21 would want to have a drink right after seeing Toronto dig themselves into a hole over and over again and yet come out of it unscathed. Tuesday night’s game gave way to such a rollercoaster of emotions, and everyone is winded from having been along for the ride — Schneider included.</p><p>These are the wins any contending team would love to get, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-news-toronto-ties-dodgers-mlb-best-stat-astros-stunner">especially for a Blue Jays squad</a> that’s not only dealing with the pressure the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are putting on them, but also having to navigate the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/toronto-blue-jays/blue-jays-john-schneider-gets-brutally-honest-on-bo-bichette-injury">absence of Bo Bichette</a>, who landed on the injured list prior to their 4-3 win over the Astros.</p><p>And to make it sweeter, Schneider, after that win, can walk into any bar in Toronto and ask for a glass of beer that’s free of charge.</p><h2>Blue Jays wake up when they needed to</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Isiah-Kiner-Falefas-full-circle-revelation-after-game-tying-hit-vs.-Astros.jpg"><figcaption>© Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Blue Jays were playing from behind all night long; starting pitcher Shane Bieber, the team’s major trade deadline acquisition, allowed two runs in the first inning courtesy of a home run from third baseman Carlos Correa. The Astros then extended their lead in the sixth with a Yainer Diaz double, also hit off Bieber.</p><p>Nonetheless, the Blue Jays got it done when it mattered, which is what they aim to do as they put on the finishing touches on a strong 2025 regular season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Blue Jays manager John Schneider ‘needs a beer’ after wild win over Astros

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	HOLDS	SAVES
167	4.689	75	1.1317	0	29

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	HOLDS	SAVES
167	4.689	75	1.1317	0	29

Jeff
Hoffman

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• Blue Jays manager John Schneider ‘needs a beer’ after wild win over Astros