Relive the 4 best moments from the Blue Jays sweep of the Yankees

In two of the four games in this series, the Jays trailed early 2-0. But being the comeback kids they are, the Blue Jays clawed back in Monday’s game to tie the game 3-3, then Vladimir Guerrero Jr. delivered this bullet through the left side of the infield that Jazz Chisholm Jr. couldn’t get a glove on.

The only scary part about this play was Springer sliding throat-first into Chisholm Jr.’s leg. For a second there, it looked like shades of Springer and Bichette colliding in centre field from their Game 2 collapse of the 2022 Wild Card series in Toronto.

Alas, that neck-first slide only made Springer stronger. Number four was just getting warmed up.

George Springer’s Canada Day grand slam

The Jays were in tough on Tuesday, facing one of the best-starting pitchers in the game this year in Max Fried. But the Blue Jays got to the Yankees’ ace for four earned runs, the second-most allowed by Fried in a single start this season.

Honourable mention goes to Andres Gimenez, who hit a go-ahead three-run home run off Fried in the fourth inning of the Canada Day game. Yet, the best part of this game was Springer’s grand slam off Luke Weaver in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Before Springer’s clutch home run, the Jays were clinging to a 5-4 lead, and with Aaron Judge and the top of the Yankees’ lineup looming, it was going to be a tightrope for John Schneider to walk to keep his team in this game. But one swing of the stick, Springer said: “I got it, boss.”

Nathan Lukes’ 14-pitch at-bat from Thursday’s game

I feel bad that we’re glossing over the Blue Jays’ narrow 11-9 win from Wednesday, but Thursday’s game had too many noteworthy moments. Is it hyperbolic to declare Nathan Lukes’ 14-pitch at-bat against Clayton Beeter was the best at-bat by a Blue Jays player this entire season?

Lukes was down 0-2 from the jump and fouled off nine pitches in this at-bat before hitting a four-seamer above the zone for a double into the left-field corner. Yes, Lukes swung at ball four, but who the hell cares when it produces go-ahead runs?

Not only did it tie the team record for most pitches seen in an at-bat, but the sheer wizardry of how Lukes hit this ball into foul territory and curved it around third base is enough to give him an honorary spot at Hogwarts. Given the stakes of the game — a tied score at 3-3 — Lukes should get him a “player of the game” nod for that epic at-bat.

Springer clubs his fourth home run of the series

For the second time in this series, the Blue Jays clung to a one-run lead late in the game, and who else but Springer delivered for the Blue Jays? He was the undoubted MVP of this four-game series for the home squad. Springer had a career-high seven RBIs on Canada Day, eight hits in the series, scored seven runs, hit four home runs and drove in 11 runs in Toronto’s four-game set.

Whoever thought Springer was cooked is an imbecile (go ahead, read number three on this list). The man has discovered the fountain of youth at age 35 and is performing at a similar pace, if not better than the second half iteration of 2021 Springer.

Honourable mention goes to Schneider for flashing the fastest intentional walk sign ever thrown up. Aaron Judge had barely taken a step towards home plate before the Jays called for the intentional walk to the Yankees slugger. Kudos to the Blue Jays skipper for potentially creating a meme that may live on for the rest of the season.