In a vintage bullpen duel, the Toronto Blue Jays clinched the American League Division Series (ALDS) over the New York Yankees with a 5–2 win in Game 4, eliminating New York and booking their first trip to the AL Championship Series since 2016. (Reuters)
Setting the Stage: A Do-or-Die Bullpen Game
Toronto entered Game 4 without turning to a conventional starter. With veteran arms like Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer unavailable and starter Shane Bieber faltering in Game 3, the team embraced an “all hands on deck” bullpen strategy. (MLB.com)
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Louis Varland was chosen to open—he had appeared in all three prior ALDS games. (MLB.com)
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The plan was for managers and coaches to continuously read matchups and hand off innings as needed. “You try to thread the needle a little bit,” Schneider said of bullpen deployment. (Sportsnet.ca)
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Also noteworthy: Trey Yesavage was made available out of the bullpen but ultimately not used in the game. (MLB.com)
Thus, for nine innings, it became a chess match of arms and matchups.
Inning-by-Inning Breakdown & Key Decisions
Here’s how the bullpen game unfolded:
| Inning | Score | Moves / Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1–0 | Varland held Judge to a single. Meanwhile, lefty Mason Fluharty began warming. (MLB.com) |
| 2nd | 1–0 | After Varland hit Goldschmidt, Toronto shifted to Fluharty to exploit L-R balance. Simultaneously, Domínguez and Yariel Rodríguez warmed. (MLB.com) |
| 3rd | 1–0 | Fluharty gave up a home run to Ryan McMahon. The next hitter, Judge, prompted Domínguez to enter—Schneider chose to challenge the heart of the Yankees’ order early. (MLB.com) |
| 4th | 1–1 | Domínguez allowed one run but minimized damage. During this inning, Little and Lauer warmed as precautionary arms. (MLB.com) |
| 5th | 2–1 | Lauer delivered a clean frame. Toronto again prepared multiple arms (Rodríguez, Little) for later innings. (MLB.com) |
| 6th | 2–1 | A bold move: Schneider intentionally walked Aaron Judge to bring up Bellinger, who had crushed lefties all season. Lauer remained in and held the fort. (MLB.com) |
| 7th | 4–1 | Brendon Little came in as the third lefty, facing a pinch-hit by the Yankees. He escaped trouble. (MLB.com) |
From there, Braydon Fisher, Yariel Rodríguez, and Jeff Hoffman combined to close the game, with Hoffman handling the final outs under pressure. (ESPN.com)
The bullpen’s collective effort kept the dangerous Yankees bats (Judge, Bellinger, Stanton) at bay. (MLB.com)
Offensive & Supporting Highlights
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. continued tormenting the Yankees, hitting .529 in the series with 9 RBIs. (AP News)
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Nathan Lukes delivered a key two-out single in the 7th following an error by Jazz Chisholm Jr., extending the lead to 4–1. (ESPN.com)
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Toronto added another run in the 8th to seal the margin. (ESPN.com)
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Over the four games, Toronto outscored New York 34–19. (Reuters)
Even without Bo Bichette (still recovering from a knee sprain), the Blue Jays' lineup found ways to produce. Ernie Clement has been particularly effective during Bichette’s absence. (FOX Sports)
What It Means & What’s Next
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The Blue Jays’ bullpen dominance proved decisive, especially in a high-leverage elimination environment. (Sportsnet.ca)
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This marks the first time Toronto reaches the ALCS since 2016. (AP News)
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Now, Toronto awaits the winner of the Tigers–Mariners series. The ALCS opens Sunday at Rogers Centre. (AP News)
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The Blue Jays’ strategy and confidence in their bullpen give them momentum heading into the next round. (Sportsnet.ca)