Comeback Kids: Blue Jays rally for 44th comeback victory of season

TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays believe in each other and so they always believe they can win.

Myles Straw doubled in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning as Toronto topped the Baltimore Orioles 6-1 on Friday for their 44th comeback win of the season, the most in the American League. Straw said after the game it’s because the Blue Jays are so closely knit.

“We’ve been there. We’ve done it. We’ve got the guys in the lineup and if it’s not the right guy in the lineup, we got the right guy on the bench to fill in,” said Straw, who went 2 for 3 at the plate with an RBI and a run. “The whole roster, as it stands, is really, really, really good, and I think we’re all prepared to do what we’ve got to do.

“We just enjoy playing baseball with each other.”

Jackson Holliday gave Baltimore (69-78) an early lead with an RBI single in the third. Vladimir Guerrero’s RBI double tied it 1-1 for Toronto (85-62) in the fifth and then Straw drove in Isiah Kiner-Falefa to take the lead.

Ernie Clement singled in another run in the seventh. Pinch-hitter Daulton Varsho tacked on two more with a double in the eighth followed by another Guerrero RBI for the game’s final score.

“It’s a brotherhood here, it’s family,” Straw told reporters. “It’s hard to explain. You’ve got to be in there to understand, but you guys are around enough, it’s a really good team.

“We’re close, and we just believe in each other.”

Toronto leads the New York Yankees by three games in the AL East. The Boston Red Sox trail the Blue Jays by 4 1/2 games after losing 4-1 to the visiting Yankees later Friday night.

The AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers lost to the Miami Marlins 8-2 on Friday, adding to Toronto’s overall lead in the American League.

As a result, starting Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt only threw 75 pitches even though he limited the Orioles to one run on two hits, striking out six over five innings. Toronto manager John Schneider said that he gave Bassitt a shorter outing with an eye to saving his arm for the playoffs.

“I think it’s just where we are in the season,” said Schneider. “It’s a fully rested bullpen, and I think if (Bassitt) is a little bit more efficient then, great, keep going.”

Relievers Ryan Borucki, Braydon Fisher (5-0), Louis Varland, Brendon Little and Yariel Rodriguez combined for four scoreless innings a day after Kevin Gausman threw a complete-game shutout to rest the entire bullpen.

“It’s making sure that we’re the healthiest going forward, and making sure, honestly, that we’re healthy through October,” said Bassitt. “We have a long way to go. We know we have a long way to go.

“How can we be smart? Obviously, Schneids has final say in all those things of where he kind of draws the line, knowing truly how we feel.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2025.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press