The Blue Jays threw the first punch in the American League Division Series — and they landed a haymaker. Toronto seized Game 1 with a 10-1 thumping over the Yankees on Saturday night at Rogers Centre.
The game remained tight through five innings, but everything changed after New York failed to capitalize with the bases loaded and no outs in the top of the sixth. The Blue Jays responded to the missed opportunity by pouring on four runs in each of the seventh and eighth innings, coasting to a dominant win in their postseason opener — and first playoff win since 2016.
There’s no denying that Toronto made a statement against its division rival, a team that matched them for the best record in the American League. But the job is far from finished. With a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series, the Jays will look to grab another win at home before the series shifts to the Bronx for Games 3 and 4.
First pitch at Rogers Centre is scheduled for 4:08 p.m. ET. New York enters as a -144 moneyline favorite, while Toronto sits as a +119 underdog on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at eight runs.
Yankees vs. Blue Jays preview
The Yankees enter Game 2 with some extra confidence, knowing that Max Fried is on the mound. The 31-year-old southpaw emerged as the team’s No. 1 starter after Gerrit Cole underwent season-ending elbow surgery — and he’s embodied an “ace” every step of the way. Making 32 starts, Fried posted a 2.86 ERA, 3.07 FIP, and 1.10 WHIP, setting new career highs of 189 strikeouts and 195.1 innings pitched. The former World Series champ made his first postseason start for New York in Game 1 of the Wild Card, twirling 6.1 scoreless innings with six strikeouts.
His stuff is nasty across the board, with a pitching run value (21) that ranks in the top 94th percentile league-wide. Fried isn’t a strikeout artist, but he limits hard contact, controls free passes, and keeps the ball on the ground — all valuable qualities in October. Fried faced the Blue Jays four times this season, owning a 4.07 ERA across 24.1 innings with 12 strikeouts and eight walks.
Six months ago, right-hander Trey Yesavage was in Single-A. On Sunday, he’ll start for the Blue Jays in Game 2 of the ALDS. At just 22 years old, Toronto’s No. 1 prospect soared up the farm system and got the call to the show in September. He made three starts down the stretch, delivering a 3.21 ERA with 16 strikeouts across 14 innings.
Yesavage flashed both strikeout pedigree and ground-ball ability during his first cup of coffee in the majors. However, despite the small sample size, his elevated 11.3% walk rate and an inflated 61.5% hard-hit rate are metrics worth monitoring heading into the biggest start of his life.
Yankees vs. Blue Jays pick, best bet
New York boasts the best offense in baseball, one that crushed 30 more homers than any other team and paced the majors with a .787 OPS. It’s also a lineup that has completely squandered two bases-loaded, no-out opportunities this postseason. While they didn’t come up scoreless like they did in Game 1 of the Wild Card, the Yankees managed just one run — on a walk — in the top of the sixth on Saturday, throwing away their only chance to take the lead before Toronto went on to leave them in the dust. Symbolizing the weight of that wasted opportunity was an ugly chase from Aaron Judge, who — despite hitting .364 this postseason — has yet to deliver when his team needs him the most.
Toronto had one of the most complete offenses in baseball this year, posting the third-best OPS in baseball (.760) while leading the league in OBP (.333). They wasted no time translating that success to the postseason. With an injured Bo Bichette watching from the sidelines, the Jays racked up 14 hits on Saturday, with Alejandro Kirk belting two home runs and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. going deep for the first time since Sept. 5. The team pounced on the reeling Yankee bullpen, one whose regular-season struggles have spilled over into October. New York’s arm barn coughed up three runs in Game 1 of the Wild Card and eight more on Saturday, liable for a bloated 8.25 ERA through their first four playoff games.
The Yankees are most vulnerable when their relievers take the mound — but Sunday’s game is their best shot to keep it out of their hands. Manager Aaron Boone saw what happened when he pulled Fried after 6.1 scoreless innings in Game 1 of the Wild Card, and he’s not going to make that same mistake again. As long as the southpaw is on the mound, the Yankees are in a prime position to steal Game 2 and shift the momentum before the series returns to the Bronx.
