Vladimir Guerrero Jr. gave John Schneider a needed sign Wednesday as the Blue Jays beat the Mets and finally saw some life from their star bat.
That was the bigger takeaway from Toronto's 9-3 Canada Day win. The score mattered, but Guerrero's progress at the plate carried more weight for a club trying to climb back into shape.
Guerrero had missed Tuesday after dealing with tightness that felt similar to the back issue that bothered him a couple of weeks earlier. This time, he said it was “more toward the obliques.”
He also made clear why his body is barking. Guerrero said he has been taking around 300 swings a day before and after games as he tries to get his swing back where it needs to be.
That work started to show. After ending an 0-for-12 skid with a single Monday, Guerrero ripped a first-inning double Wednesday, then walked and scored in the rout.
For the Blue Jays, that is the real development. Toronto can survive a bullpen day and patch together innings, but it needs Guerrero driving the lineup if this season is going anywhere.
The game itself had plenty of noise. Sean Keys hit his first MLB home run, Myles Straw launched a 3-run shot, and the Blue Jays finished with their highest run total since May 9.
Guerrero's swing is still the story
Toronto improved to 41-46, yet even in a 6-run win the clearest tension stayed with Guerrero. Schneider said his first baseman is making progress and pointed to the late “Vladdy, Vladdy” chants as a sign the crowd still believes.
Guerrero believes it too. He said his swing feels “perfect” in the cage, but not the same in games, and admitted he still does not fully know why it changes under the lights.
That honesty is what makes this stretch worth watching. He is not hiding from the slump, and he is not pretending one double means the problem is gone.
Still, the signs were better. Guerrero said he has been taking better at-bats, and the quality of contact backed that up in a way Toronto has not seen enough lately.
The rest of the lineup did its job around him. On the first bullpen day after Patrick Corbin's move out of the rotation, Toronto got a clean first from Braydon Fisher, 3 scoreless innings from Spencer Miles, and 5 innings from Corbin in relief.
That let the game breathe. It also gave Guerrero room to contribute without carrying the full offensive load by himself, which is where this lineup works best.
So while Canada Day ended with fireworks on the scoreboard, the Blue Jays will leave this one thinking about a different spark. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. looked a little closer to himself, and right now that matters more than anything else in Toronto's lineup.
Did Vladimir Guerrero Jr. show enough in this win to make you believe a breakout stretch is coming?
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