Vladimir Guerrero Jr. spent about 15 minutes in the dugout after the Toronto Blue Jays lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, thinking through how to beat them. On Wednesday, Toronto did exactly that, edging the Dodgers 4-3 to end a six-game losing streak.
Guerrero said he was giving his thanks to God after a win that felt like a release for a team that had just been beaten 4-1 the night before. Toronto erased a 3-1 deficit in the seventh when George Springer doubled in a run and Daulton Varsho followed with a single to tie it at 3-3, then took the lead for good in the eighth on a sequence that began with Davis Schneider going from first to third on an Andres Gimenez bouncer up the middle. Gimenez then stole second and advanced on a Will Smith throwing error that brought home the decisive run.
Guerrero was involved throughout. He opened the sixth with a leadoff double, later made an out trying to advance to third on a Jesus Sanchez grounder, and reached base three times in four plate appearances. He also drew a walk in the seventh after Toronto had pulled even. Afterward, he did not hide his frustration with his own mistake on the bases. He called the play a tough one because Rojas was behind him, said Sanchez hit it hard and that he thought it would be a base hit, and added that he talked with first base coach Mark Budzinski about taking it back and learning from it so it would not happen again.
Read Also: Twins Vs Blue Jays preview: Guerrero Jr. in focus against Woods Richardson
The night fit the mood Guerrero described after Tuesday’s loss, when he said it was a tough week and that everybody in the clubhouse had to get better, especially himself. He also said he had spent probably 15 minutes replaying the matchup in his head, trying to figure out how the Blue Jays could beat the Dodgers before they finally did it. Toronto is still only 12 games in, with 150 to go, but the victory was the kind that can steady a club that had been searching for one.
Jeff Hoffman finished it off against the top of the Dodgers lineup and earned the save. Through seven appearances, Hoffman had struck out 15 of 31 batters faced, but he had also allowed runs in three outings, with only two of the four runs charged to him earned. Toronto’s broader issue has been the sort of missed chances that turn close games into losses; the Blue Jays entered with a.215 mark and were 1-for-19 in high-leverage situations cited by the club. For one night, though, the numbers gave way to a cleaner result, and the Dodgers score turned in Toronto’s favor.
Read Also: Justin Wrobleski Expects Boos in Toronto Ahead of 2025 World Series Rematch
Guerrero said he was trying to stay calm after the game, rather than get so angry he would break something. He said he would rather relax, see the fear and try to come through himself, and that sometimes players want to be the guy. For the Blue Jays, Wednesday was the night he was one of them.
