Jays feeling confident in close games after two extra-inning comebacks against Padres

By Canadian Press on May 22, 2025.

TORONTO — Before the season began the Toronto Blue Jays got together as a team and had a long conversation about talking things over in the dugout and playing for each other more.

That approach has been paying dividends in the month of May.

Daulton Varsho tripled in the tying run and then scored on Nathan Lukes’s RBI single in the 11th inning as the Blue Jays recovered from two extra-inning deficits to beat the San Diego Padres 7-6 on Thursday. Varsho said that the three-game sweep at Rogers Centre was because Toronto’s lineup has faith in each other.

“Just having good at bats, that’s all we could really care about,” said Varsho outside the home clubhouse. “Just having good at bats, having quality at bats, and being able to move around to the next guy.

“When you don’t get it done, it’s OK to pass the baton, and I think we’re doing a really good job as a lineup, being able to do that.”

Varsho has repeatedly said that there’s a different feeling in the Blue Jays’ dugout during close games this year. He detailed how their improved collective attitude has made a difference after an 11-9 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on May 13.

“When we were in those situations (last season) I feel like everybody in the lineup was just like, down on themselves,” he said after that game. “This year, there’s no panic at all.

“It’s just like, ‘we’re going to come back, and whether you like it or not, we’re going to have good at bats.’ I think it’s just a different kind of mojo throughout our dugout and having confidence in everybody.”

That never-quit attitude was tested on Thursday against San Diego.

Gavin Sheets hit his second two-run homer of the game in the ninth to tie it 4-4.

Luis Arraez hit what appeared to be a game-winning RBI single for San Diego in the top of the 10th, but Jonatan Clase tied it 5-5 for the Blue Jays in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single of his own.

Sheets struck again in the 11th, with his RBI single giving the Padres a brief 6-5 lead.

Varsho led off the bottom of the inning with his triple scoring Vladimir Guerrero Jr., to tie the game 6-6 and then, three batters later, Lukes hit his winner to plate Varsho.

“We haven’t really come up with a big hit at times, but I think recently we’ve been able to do it,” said Varhso. “We’ve been hitting balls hard, just sometimes right at people.

“That’s just this game. It can humble you really fast.”

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said that his team is playing its best baseball so far this season but that Toronto has more potential.

“That was a crazy game. You always want to take a two-run lead into the ninth and you feel like you’ve done what you need to do to get there, and it didn’t work out,” said Schneider. “The guys kept coming, kept coming, kept coming back.

“If it’s our best baseball, I don’t know if it is. But it’s pretty close.”

FRANCIS 77 — Schneider pulled starting pitcher Bowden Francis after just 77 pitches and Toronto leading 4-2. The Toronto manager said he didn’t want Francis to face the Padres potent lineup for a third time.

“I think you can say third time through, really, for the majority of Major League pitchers (can be dangerous),” said Schneider. “There’s a handful that kind of neutralize that in today’s game but with Bowden in particular, I think it just comes down to his fastball command.”

The Blue Jays went through seven relievers in the game, tough timing ahead of a planned bullpen day in Tampa Bay against the Rays. Schneider announced post-game that Eric Lauer would get the start for Toronto.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2025.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press