Josh Donaldson has a simple explanation for why the Blue Jays won that series in Cleveland.

"I also hate to beat a dead horse, but guess who showed up in that Cleveland series? Vlad Guerrero," Donaldson said.

That's not a small compliment coming from someone who's been openly critical of Guerrero's season up to this point.

Donaldson described a specific moment that stuck with him, the reaction from the rest of the lineup once Guerrero connects.

"Vlad Guerrero shows up and you could just see, like after he hits the homer, everybody else, it's like almost they take a deep breath. All right, our guy's here right now."

That's a real observation about clubhouse psychology, not just a stat line.

"So he's the biggest difference maker on that team. That's why we keep talking about it so much. And he shows why," Donaldson added.

Why Donaldson ties Toronto's fate directly to Vlad

Donaldson made his point about cause and effect explicit. "He goes and has a big series, they win. If he's not performing the way that he does, they lose."

That's a blunt way of framing Toronto's entire playoff push around one player's bat.

It also lines up with what Toronto's own numbers have shown all season, an offense that ranks near the bottom of the league whenever Guerrero isn't producing.

Guerrero's recent stretch has included big moments in that Cleveland series, part of a hot run that's helped push Toronto back toward .500 and within range of a wild-card spot.

Donaldson has been consistently vocal about Guerrero throughout this season, framing his struggles earlier in the year as a test of character.

This comment reads like the flip side of that same message, credit given the moment the results actually showed up.

For a Blue Jays team still fighting for its playoff life, having its former star publicly frame the season around Guerrero's bat only raises the stakes further for every remaining game.