Big crowds and Bronx Bombers await for Blue Jays biggest home series in five years

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If the Blue Jays are feeling any strain upfront of the highest-stakes baseball sequence to be performed in Toronto in 5 years, they aren’t speaking about it.

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In reality, most are embracing a three-game showdown with the New York Yankees that begins Tuesday at a capacity-expanded Rogers Centre.

“I feel these guys are prepared,” is how the Jays sensible second baseman Marcus Semien places it. “Sure, we’re younger. Sure, we’re in a playoff race that is likely to be a bit of new and with followers within the stands it’s a bit of totally different than final yr. However we’re prepared.

“The younger guys that we now have are ball gamers. I’ll take us over anyone.”

The red-hot Yankees, winners of six in a row and in possession of the primary American League wild-card spot, two video games up on Toronto, determine to have one thing to say about it, in fact.

However for a Jays group that misplaced 95 video games in 2019, — the earlier time there was an actual, full Main League Baseball season — it’s an enormous alternative to money in on a exceptional turnaround.

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Just like the Yankees and Purple Sox (who’re a recreation up on the Jays) it has been a tumultuous season of highs and lows. The Jays survived points with their bullpen and beginning rotation and have performed greater than half the season with out their $150-million man, George Springer. Supervisor Charlie Montoyo’s group jacked the warmth up at simply the suitable time, nonetheless, and personal among the finest data within the majors in September.

The margin of error could also be minuscule — the group may wish to complete 5-1 to snag a wild-card spot — however the alternative in entrance of them feels extra tantalizing than intimidating.

“Individuals discuss strain, we’ve been (taking part in these form of video games) for some time now, for greater than a month,” Montoyo stated. “I’m happy with this group and looking out ahead to coming house.

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“They like being in moments like that. Stress is a privilege they usually earned the suitable to be on this second.”

The second(s) promise to be electrical ones for a metropolis starved for an in-house, big-game expertise. With the Rogers Centre cleared to double COVID-restricted capability to 30,000, it’s an excellent wager it will likely be the most important attended sports activities occasion in Toronto in additional than two years.

Since returning to the downtown dome on July 30, the Jays have solid a 21-9 report to surge into playoff competition. Crowds within the 14,000 vary have sounded a lot louder and left an impression on a group exiled to Buffalo and Dunedin for many of the previous two seasons.

On tv, Jays rankings are hovering with audiences topping one million viewers for components of this previous weekend’s sequence in Minneapolis.

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“We’re excited in regards to the vitality,” stated rookie beginning pitcher, Alek Manoah. “We’re excited in regards to the massive sequence. It’s that point of yr. It’s go time proper now. We’re able to compete and provides everybody in Toronto an enormous present at house.”

That present will start with a little bit of a thriller on the mound for the house aspect as lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu is coming off of the harm listing — following two sketchy performances previous to that — for Tuesday’s opener.

Ryu has spent a lot of the season within the shadow of Cy Younger Award favorite Robbie Ray, however signed a four-year, $80-million US deal previous to the 2020 season to be a rock of the rotation. On Tuesday, he will get his largest likelihood at offering the influence anticipated of such a contract since flaming out in a post-season blowout loss to the Rays this previous September.

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The Yankees will counter with Jameson Taillon, who can be coming off the injured listing and fronting an offensive assault that has been on hearth of late. Wednesday’s second recreation of the sequence shall be a showdown between Jose Berrios and Yankees ace Gerrit Cole whereas Ray will get the ball for Thursday’s sequence finale as Jays hitters face Corey Kluber.

For his or her playoff pursuit, in all probability the Jays might want to take two of three from the Yankees earlier than closing out the season with three extra house video games in opposition to Baltimore. Earlier this month, Montoyo’s group swept the Bronx Bombers proper at Yankee Stadium and on the season the Jays have a 10-6 edge.

“It’s going to be one other playoff environment,” stated Yankees outfielder Aaron Decide. “They’re an ideal younger group that took it to us again in New York. They’re combating similar to us for that playoff spot. It’s going to be some enjoyable video games in Toronto.”

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It has been a wildly uneven yr total for the Yankees, however the sweep of a three-game weekend sequence at Boston’s Fenway Park gave them the higher hand over what’s a four-way race for 2 spots when the upstart Seattle Mariners are included.

“It appears like a household coming collectively and pulling on the identical rope,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone stated. “I really like the state of mind they’re in, the struggle they’re in. All alongside, they’ve been very assured … we’re not going to scare in any respect. Everyone seems to be keenly conscious of what we’re competing for.”

With six video games remaining, the one-game-at-a-time cliché really involves life for the rebuilt Jays, particularly with a mind-bending array of tie-breaking situations. Certain, the Purple Sox have the simplest remaining schedule of the three in pursuit, however a lot can occur, beginning with Tuesday’s conflict with the Yankees.

“Everyone’s excited for it,” Jays catcher Danny Jansen stated. “We’re going to play the massive canines and we’re going to play them at house in entrance of 30,000 followers. That’s large. It’s going to be nice.”