The last few weeks have been incredible for the Toronto Blue Jays. The only Canadian team in Major League Baseball is doing everything it can to stay in the playoffs, and in these stressful times it’s better to have a beer in hand.
At least that was manager John Schneider’s opinion after his team pulled off a win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday night.
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“It’s kind of not fun, but that’s our situation at the moment. You must be able to put the past behind you and focus on each encounter. The rollercoaster ride of emotions is difficult. And you know, I want to thank Left Field Brewery for providing us with good beer,” he said at a news conference, bursting into laughter.
Left Field is a popular restaurant among baseball fans as its owners have named several of their drinks in honor of the sport. Schneider has already worked with the company to brew a beer there, Frozen Rope IPA.
Except there’s some truth in this little publicity stunt. The coach had just watched his men get outclassed by the Texas Rangers for four games, and hopes of seeing the Jays (83-67) in the playoffs had plummeted. With their three wins over the Sox, they are back in the running for American League draft teams.
“I liked the way they played the whole series,” Schneider said, according to MLB.com. It was hard fought, our pitchers were great and our defense was exceptional with enough offense to play at the right time. The Texas series could have gone either way, and these guys elevated their game even further. That’s what they had to do.”
The same refrain
Throughout the 2023 season, Toronto appeared to be both in the driver’s seat and on the edge of the abyss. Inconsistency and a few injuries played tricks on the Blue Jays. Now it’s about finishing the regular season on the right foot.
“That’s how the whole year went; “There are a lot of ups and downs for us,” said Matt Chapman, the author of Monday night’s crucial point. We get carried away and then we carry someone away. With all this focus on the importance of each win, it was nice to forget that series against Texas and do better against Boston, who had our number earlier this season.
The Jays’ next opponent will be the New York Yankees, another sectional rival that has caused them problems. The Bronx Bombers have won four of seven meetings, but their two series took place in April and May.
The Queen City officials have an interest in delivering the goods, however, as half of their last 12 meetings have come against the Yankees and the rest against the Tampa Bay Rays.