Surging Blue Jays relying on each other to get the job done

Toronto Blue Jays' Ernie Clement, left, celebrates with teammates after hitting a bunt single resulting in a throwing error from Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Sam Bachman, permitting Blue Jays Myles Straw to score in tenth inning MLB baseball action in Toronto on Friday, July 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

TORONTO — After an emotional four-game sweep of the visiting New York Yankees, the Toronto Blue Jays could have easily experienced the old hangover effect.

But instead of a letdown, the Blue Jays (50-38) pulled out a thrilling 4-3 win in 10 innings against the Los Angeles Angels (43-44) to extend their American League East lead to two games as both the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays lost on Friday.

“I think it would have been easy to have a little bit of a letdown,” Toronto manager John Schneider said after his team expanded its win streak to a season-high six games and highlighted how there have been different players at different times who have stepped up.

“I talk about it a lot that these guys don’t care who it is, and they don’t care how we do it. That is a really good quality to have when you’re playing every single night for 16 straight days like we’re in the middle of.”

In the series opener against the visiting Angels, Schneider received a strong outing from starter Eric Lauer, aggressive base running and a perfect bunt from Ernie Clement that resulted in the walk-off run.

Clement laid down a bunt on the third-base side of the mound. Angels reliever Sam Bachman hurried to cross over the mound from the other side to field the bunt. As a result, he rushed his throw high as Clement sped down the line.

This enabled automatic runner Myles Straw to score the winning run from second base.

Earlier, in a three-run sixth inning, George Springer aggressively went from first to third on a Bo Bichette single to left field. Springer then scored on shortstop Zach Neto’s throwing error on a bouncer up the middle from Addison Barger.

“You need to have everything like we had tonight,” Schneider said.

The Blue Jays reached 50 wins in their 88th game, a feat they haven’t accomplished since 1992 when they went on to win the first of back-to-back World Series titles.

Clement believes the closeness of the Blue Jays players and coaching staff has transferred into their 34-18 run since May 8. Only the Houston Astros have been better during this stretch with a 35-17 clip.

“We just keep relying on each other,” Clement said. “It’s all about relying on each other and picking each other up.”

Bichette returned to the lineup on Friday after being limited to one pinch-hit appearance in the Yankees series because of a sore knee.

But Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sat out Friday’s game before 30,119 at Rogers Centre after fouling off a pitch on his right foot in the sixth inning of the series finale against the Yankees on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Lauer didn’t register the win after Jo Adell greeted Toronto reliever Nick Sandlin with a three-run homer in the seventh inning. But the lefty did check in with his first quality start since April 19, 2023, when he pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers.

“Winning is fun,” the 30-year-old Lauer said. “Like I said before we never feel we’re out of a game. Good things happen when you put the ball in play.”

Good things are happening to the Blue Jays at home, too. The win Friday improved their record at Rogers Centre to 30-16, third-best in the American League behind the Astros (32-14) and the Detroit Tigers (30-14).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2025.

Tim Wharnsby, The Canadian Press