Blue Jays walk it off in playoff-like duel with Yankees

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Along the bumps of what could be viewed as an occasionally frustrating season of fluctuation, the Blue Jays have found a rather effective coping mechanism.

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It has worked in keeping confidence at a high and competitiveness sharp. And it has them on the brink of clinching a post-season spot, after a resounding 3-2 extra-innings win over the AL East-leading New York Yankees on Tuesday night.

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Playoff baseball anyone?

That’s what it’s starting to feel like around here as Vlad Guerrero Jr. ripped a base hit to left field with two out in the 10th inning, scoring Cavan Biggio from second.

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With the win, the Jays not only denied their division rivals a chance to clinch the division title, but they lowered their magic number to secure a playoff spot to three.

The mindset in the Jays clubhouse right now and for the past several weeks? Treat every game as its own entity and every series as a must-win.

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When it comes to playoff-style baseball like the team has faced over the past several days, it could serve them rather well.

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And the tactical, extra-innings duel with the Yankees, was the latest example as the Jays fought their way out of a 2-0 deficit, forced extras and seized the moment at the hands of one of their most dynamic bats.

“I know that we believe in ourselves and in our fight no matter what the situation is,” shortstop Bo Bichette said of the team’s locked-in look. “If that situation occurs in the playoffs, I like our chances to compete and fight there.”

As a snapshot of what’s to come, Monday’s scene in front of a solid crowd of 34,307 at a closed-roof Rogers Centre, had plenty.

There was the super-hyped presence of Yankees star Aaron Judge and his pursuit of a historic 61st home run.

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There was Judge’s Bronx Bombers on the verge of clinching the AL East title.

And there was the Jays looking to further enhance their prospects of locking down not just a playoff spot (their magic number entering the night was four) but the top seed in the AL wildcard race.

It turned out to be quite a battle, an enticing trailer for the drama that awaits. It began with superb pitching as Jays starter Kevin Gausman allowed a run in each of the first two innings and nothing more before exiting after 6.1 and Luis Severino answering for the Yankees.

As potential playoff previews go – and these two teams could meet as early as the second round – this one was a dandy, complete with a dramatic conclusion.

But back to that singular focus on each passing series. The Jays entire this three gamer against the Yanks on a run where they are undefeated in their past eight series (6-0-2).

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“This team is fighting and we’re playing good baseball,” Jays reliever David Phelps said. “We’re starting to get all the pieces working together and clicking at the same time.

“This time of year, you get more focused on winning series. Obviously you focus on the game at hand, but if you focus on each individual three- or four-four-gamer, the goal is to have that carry over into the post season.”

It really is a pragmatic approach, as well. At various times during the season, the Jays lack of starting depth has exposed, the bullpen has taken its lumps and bats have gathered ice. But zoning in on getting a win the next day to even a series could serve them well.

“That’s been the collective outlook for a lot of days and months and weeks in a row,” Jays manager John Schneider said. “It’s a good thing to have going into a three, five or seven-game series for sure.

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“And if you get to that point, everything is magnified. Every pitch. Every play. Every at bat. You just try to continue to do what you’ve been doing and understand you’re in that position for a reason and hopefully just continue with that mindset.”

BULL-ISH EFFORT

Complementing starter Gausman’s excellent night was some clutch work from the Toronto bullpen. A procession of five relievers made appearances, with the biggest efforts coming from closer Jordan Romano (who struck out the side in the ninth) and Anthony Bass (who had a pair of Ks in the 10th.)

And what drama it was in that 10th, when Schneider went to Tim Mayza to relieve Bass and promptly issued an intentional walk to Judge to load the bases. A grounder ended it though, setting the stage for Guerrero.

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GAME ON

More on Romano: The Canadian closer struck out the side in the ninth – setting down Josh Donaldson, Giancarlo Stanton and Oswaldo Cabrera … As the Judge show hit town, the Jays, led by starter Gausman, basically followed Schneider’s game plan for the man looking for his historic 61st homer — proceed with caution. So as Judge slapped a single in the first, walked in the third and struck out looking (on a terrible call from home plate ump Laz Diaz in the sixth) and went down swinging to Yimi Garcia in the eighth … The big blast of the night for the Jays was a massive shot to right field from Teoscar Hernandez in the fourth that was inches from a grand slam. The double (even with Hernandez admiring his handiwork for four or five seconds too long) drove in a pair of runs and all of the Jays scoring in order.