The Rogers Centre erupted in a sea of blue as the Toronto Blue Jays stunned the New York Yankees with a decisive 7th-inning rally in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. What began as a tight pitching duel transformed into a statement win that has Toronto buzzing with playoff energy.
“This is exactly the start we needed,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider, whose tactical decisions in the 7th inning helped break open a game that had been deadlocked at 1-1 since the third. “Coming into Yankee Stadium and taking Game 1 sets the tone for the series.”
The breakthrough came against Yankees reliever Clay Holmes, who entered with a stellar regular season ERA of 2.14 but couldn’t navigate Toronto’s suddenly potent lineup. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., whose father famously tormented Yankee pitching years ago, started the rally with a double that skimmed the left-field line.
“I was looking for something I could drive,” Guerrero explained through an interpreter. “Holmes usually keeps the ball down, but he left that one up enough for me to get my hands through.”
What followed was classic October baseball – a combination of clutch hitting, aggressive baserunning, and the kind of pressure that causes even the most composed players to crack. Bo Bichette singled to bring Guerrero home, giving Toronto their first lead since the second inning.
The Yankees’ usually reliable defense contributed to their unraveling. A misplayed grounder by second baseman Gleyber Torres extended the inning, allowing Toronto to add three more runs on consecutive hits by Alejandro Kirk and Kevin Kiermaier.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone couldn’t hide his frustration in the post-game press conference. “That’s not Yankee baseball,” he said, his voice tight with disappointment. “We pride ourselves on clean defense and shutdown relief pitching. We fell short in both areas tonight.”
For Toronto fans, the victory was particularly sweet. The Blue Jays entered the postseason as underdogs despite winning 93 games during the regular season. Much of the pre-series coverage focused on New York’s powerhouse lineup featuring Aaron Judge, who blasted 48 home runs during the regular season.
But tonight belonged to Toronto’s starting pitcher Alek Manoah, who delivered six innings of one-run baseball against the vaunted Yankee lineup. His only mistake was a hanging slider that Judge deposited into the left-field seats in the third inning.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole career,” said Manoah, who missed significant time in 2024 with shoulder inflammation. “To come back and pitch in the playoffs, in Yankee Stadium no less – it doesn’t get bigger than this.”
The Blue Jays’ bullpen was equally impressive, with Yimi García, Tim Mayza, and Jordan Romano combining for three scoreless innings to secure the win. Romano, facing the heart of New York’s order in the ninth, struck out Juan Soto looking to end the game.
According to Baseball Savant, Toronto’s win probability jumped from 53% to 89% during that explosive seventh inning. Historical data from MLB shows that teams winning Game 1 of a five-game series go on to advance approximately 70% of the time.
The victory carries extra significance for Toronto, which hasn’t won a playoff series since 2016. The franchise has invested heavily in building around young stars like Guerrero and Bichette, but playoff success has proven elusive – until perhaps now.
“One game doesn’t make a series,” cautioned Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins, who was spotted celebrating briefly with team president Mark Shapiro after the final out. “But this team has shown resilience all season. Tonight was another example of that.”
For Yankees fans, who packed the stadium expecting to see their team take an early series lead, the loss stings particularly because of how the game unfolded. New York starter Gerrit Cole delivered a quality performance, allowing just one run over six innings while striking out nine.
“Cole gave us exactly what we needed,” Boone said. “We just couldn’t get the bats going against their pitchers, and then things fell apart in the seventh.”
The series continues tomorrow with Game 2 at Yankee Stadium. New York will send Luis Severino to the mound, while Toronto counters with José Berríos. For the Yankees, a bounce-back performance is essential before the series shifts to Toronto for Games 3 and potentially 4.
As Blue Jays players filed onto the team bus following their victory, the mood was one of measured confidence rather than unbridled celebration. Veterans on the team, including Kiermaier who won a World Series with Tampa Bay, reminded younger players that the job is far from finished.
“This is just the beginning,” Guerrero said with a smile. “We came here to win a series, not just one game.”
For one night at least, baseball’s spotlight shines squarely on Canada’s team, who took the first step toward what could be a memorable October run.
