Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is heating up, and the Blue Jays are 0.5 games from a wild card spot.
Toronto beat Cleveland 6-3 Thursday, taking two of three in a high-stakes series at Progressive Field.
That's five wins in their last six games, and a series win over the exact team they're chasing in the standings.
"It feels incredible," starter Jose Soriano said. "We've been fighting for that."
The win gives the 70-71 Blue Jays a tiebreaker edge over Cleveland if the two clubs finish with identical records.
"It doesn't matter where we are," Nathan Lukes said. "We need to win regardless. Just win."
Lukes drove in two runs with a pair of doubles, and the bullpen combined for 4.1 scoreless innings to seal it.
Why Guerrero's message to teammates matters right now
Guerrero followed a three-hit, five-RBI game Wednesday with a walk and sacrifice fly Thursday, real contact even without the ball leaving the yard.
"There's a lot of ups and downs, and obviously this year has not been my year," Guerrero said through interpreter Hector Lebron. "But I talk to have good communication with the coaching staff and players."
"Basically just tell them, hey, it's not going my way right now, but stay with me. I'm going to continue to keep working hard, and at the end I'll be there for you guys."
Toronto followed a 17-11 August with a 2-1 start to September, and the schedule ahead offers real opportunity, with series against two of the AL's three worst teams next.
Help is on the way too. Jameson Taillon starts Friday against the Royals, and Trey Yesavage is set to throw off a mound soon, keeping him in play for the season's final stretch.
Anthony Santander could add offense as well, progressing toward a Triple-A rehab stint possibly as soon as next week.
Real challenges remain. This offense still ranks bottom three in MLB in runs, home runs, and on-base percentage, and Guerrero has struggled to sustain hot streaks all season.
Taillon and Spencer Arrighetti are currently covering two rotation spots despite both spending time on the IL last month, leaving real uncertainty in that staff.
Toronto is still below .500 and outside a playoff spot, with a limited number of losses left to spare.
"In baseball, you don't get that many opportunities," Guerrero said. "But when you have one, you've got to take advantage of it. And that's who we are."
Do you believe Vladimir Guerrero Jr. can sustain this hot stretch and carry the Blue Jays into October?
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