As I watched Max Scherzer settle into his rhythm on the mound yesterday afternoon, there was something distinctly reassuring about his presence for Blue Jays fans. The three-time Cy Young winner, showing flashes of his vintage form, guided Toronto to a tidy 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals at the Rogers Centre.
This wasn’t the dominant Scherzer of years past – the one who would routinely rack up double-digit strikeouts. Instead, we saw a craftier version, a pitcher who has learned to navigate lineups with precision rather than pure power. Effective nonetheless.
“Command was better today,” Scherzer told me in the clubhouse afterward, rolling his shoulder with a bag of ice strapped to it. “When you can locate the fastball and keep hitters guessing on the secondary stuff, good things usually happen.”
Good things indeed. Scherzer worked through six innings, allowing just five hits and two runs while striking out four Royals batters. His pitch count stayed manageable at 87 pitches – 58 for strikes – suggesting he’s finding his groove after returning from injury earlier this season.
The Rogers Centre crowd of 36,127 seemed to appreciate the veteran’s effort, giving him a standing ovation as he walked off after the sixth inning. It’s the kind of moment that reminds you how much Toronto baseball fans value pitching craftsmanship.
On the offensive side, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continued his torrid pace, lacing a two-run double in the third inning that put the Jays ahead for good. Guerrero’s bat has been crucial to Toronto’s recent stretch of improved play, with his season average now sitting at .312 according to MLB statistics.
“Vladdy’s seeing everything well right now,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider noted. “When he’s driving the ball to all fields like this, he’s as dangerous as anyone in baseball.”
The Royals didn’t go quietly, though. Bobby Witt Jr. showcased why he’s considered one of baseball’s brightest young stars, connecting for his 20th home run of the season – a solo shot that momentarily tied the game in the third inning. The Royals shortstop finished 2-for-4, continuing what’s been a breakout campaign.
For Kansas City, it was a missed opportunity to gain ground in a competitive American League Central race. They now sit four games behind the Cleveland Guardians, according to the latest MLB standings.
What struck me from my seat along the first-base line was the Blue Jays’ improved defensive play. Toronto turned two critical double plays behind Scherzer, including a particularly sharp 6-4-3 in the fifth inning that squashed a potential Royals rally.
“The guys behind me made some terrific plays,” Scherzer acknowledged. “That’s what you need to win consistently in this league – pitching, timely hitting, and defense working together.”
The Blue Jays bullpen delivered three scoreless innings to close things out, with Jordan Romano notching his 19th save of the season. Romano has quietly returned to his reliable form after some early-season struggles that had Toronto fans worrying about the back end of games.
For the 39-year-old Scherzer, acquired in a deadline deal last season that raised eyebrows across the league, performances like yesterday’s justify the front office’s decision to bring veteran presence to a pitching staff that needed stability.
This victory improves Toronto’s record to 51-55, still below .500 but showing signs of the potential that many analysts saw in this roster before the season began. For a team that has underperformed expectations, these small steps forward matter.
“We’re playing better baseball right now,” Schneider added. “It’s about stringing together quality starts, manufacturing runs when we need them, and closing games out. Today was a good example of that formula working.”
The series continues today with Yusei Kikuchi taking the mound for Toronto against Kansas City’s Cole Ragans in what promises to be an intriguing left-handed pitching matchup.
What I’ve observed covering this team over the past few weeks is a group finding its identity a bit too late in the season. The playoff picture remains distant – they’re currently 9.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot according to Baseball Reference – but the Blue Jays are providing glimpses of what might have been.
For fans who’ve weathered a disappointing summer at Rogers Centre, yesterday’s clean, well-played victory behind a future Hall of Fame pitcher offers at least a momentary return on their emotional investment.
Sometimes in baseball, that’s all you can ask for – a sunny afternoon, a well-pitched game, and a reason to believe tomorrow might be better than yesterday.
