Kirk, Vladdy, Gausman Shine as Blue Jays Thump Yankees in ALDS Game 1 Win

Alejandro Kirk hit two solo home runs, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. also connected and the Toronto Blue Jays won a postseason game for the first time since 2016 by thumping the New York Yankees 10-1 in Game 1 of their AL Division Series on Saturday.

Nathan Lukes had two hits, three RBIs and a diving catch, and Andres Gimenez added two hits and drove in a pair as the AL East champion Blue Jays used 14 hits to snap a seven-game playoff losing streak.

Toronto’s previous postseason win came in Game 4 of the 2016 American League Championship Series against Cleveland. The Blue Jays lost that series in five games.

Toronto was swept out of the wild-card round at Tampa Bay in 2020, at home against Seattle in 2022 and at Minnesota in 2023.

Kevin Gausman (1-0) allowed one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings for the win. He walked two and struck out three.

Guerrero went 3 for 4 with two RBIs. He opened the scoring with a two-out drive in the first inning, the first postseason homer of his career, and added a sacrifice fly in Toronto’s four-run seventh.

Guerrero entered with three hits and one RBI in six previous playoff games.

Kirk hit a first-pitch homer in the second, his first in the postseason, then added a second shot off Paul Blackburn to begin a four-run eighth.

Toronto has won seven of eight home meetings with New York this season. The Blue Jays went an AL-best 54-27 at home in the regular season.

Making his third postseason start, New York right-hander Luis Gil (0-1) allowed two runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings. The 2024 AL Rookie of the Year walked none and struck out two.

The Yankees didn’t put a runner in scoring position until Anthony Volpe doubled off the left-field wall to begin the sixth. Austin Wells singled Volpe to third and Trent Grisham walked to load the bases. Gausman struck out Aaron Judge but walked Cody Bellinger to bring home a run.

After Ben Rice popped out, Louis Varland came on and struck out Giancarlo Stanton on four pitches, ending the at-bat with a 101 mph fastball.

Toronto broke it open against two Yankees relievers in the seventh. Luke Weaver didn’t retire any of the three batters he faced, leaving after Giménez’s RBI single through a drawn-in infield. Weaver has not retired any of the six batters he has faced this postseason.

Fernando Cruz got one out but walked George Springer to load the bases before Lukes doubled. Guerrero capped the rally with his sacrifice fly.

Guerrero turned an unassisted double play at first base to end the second, diving to snare Ryan McMahon’s liner and beating Jazz Chisholm Jr. back to the bag.

Chisholm was retired by another great play in the fifth when Lukes made a diving catch on a line drive to right field.

Judge went 2 for 4 with a single and a double, making him the only Yankees player to reach base more than once.

Up next

Blue Jays rookie RHP Trey Yesavage is expected to start against Yankees LHP Max Fried in Game 2 of the best-of-five series on Sunday.

Yesavage, who rose through four minor league levels this season, will be making his fourth big league appearance after going 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA in three September starts.

Fried, a three-time All-Star, went 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA in the regular season. He pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against Boston.

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