The catcher hit a one-off single in the 11th inning to give the Blue Jays a 5-4 victory over the Cubs at the Rogers Centre. He was also responsible for Toronto’s first three RBIs, with a three-run shot in the seventh that gave his team its first extra-base hit of the game. “Sometimes it takes an inning, or an at-bat, or a game to get rolling,” Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider said. “And I think that’s something we saw again tonight.” For most of the evening, Monday’s game looked like a continuation of the Blue Jays’ weekend. The bats were quiet while starter José Berríos surrendered four unearned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. The rally started with a 10-pitch walk to Matt Chapman, who also hit the game-tying RBI single later. Raimel Tapia followed with a single to put men on first and third, and that’s when players in the Blue Jays dugout took off their hats and waved them in the air, hoping to help along with the changeup. momentum. Jansen took a 2-2 slider from Erich Uelmen to straightaway center, putting the game within reach as his teammates erupted in joy. They did it again, tenfold, after Jansen singled off Mark Leiter Jr. and Chapman singled from second to home for the winning run. “They’re pumped,” Snyder said. The euphoria was understandable. After a disappointing sweep by the Angels in which Toronto was shut out twice in three games over the weekend, Monday’s game had the potential to turn into a defining moment of the season. And even though the home team put up quality at-bats against Cubs rookie Javier Assad, it took a while for the hits to come. “The hits didn’t really come when we needed them to come,” Schneider said. “But if we can stay consistent, 1 through 9, it would be good to continue to have a consistent approach. Because, obviously, this team is really, really talented.” A word that’s been bouncing around the Blue Jays clubhouse a lot these days is “confidence.” Amidst a fast-paced season and many expectations, the team remained focused Monday night, making crucial defensive plays to keep the game close while working toward the big offensive moment. Jansen shined on that side of the ball as well. With the Cubs leading 2-0 and runners on second and third in the fifth, Berríos hit Ian Happ on a ground ball for the second out. Jansen ended the out by throwing to first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who quickly threw the ball back to home plate as Nick Madrigal tried to advance from third. The trade was seamless, the transfer was elite and Madrigal was tagged for the final out. “It was an unbelievable game,” Jansen said. “That was wild too. You don’t plan too much, do you? You don’t see that often. It was great for Vladdy, to get it out of the way and get the tension out.” That was far from the only defensive highlight of the night, which was a welcome change after a weekend that can only be described as sloppy for the Blue Jays pitching staff. Bo Bichette was at the center of more than one game-saving moment, including an unassisted double play in the 10th inning that allowed Yimi Garcia to quickly retire the team and come back for the 11th. “I can’t say enough about the defense,” Jansen said. “Berríos battles, the bullpen comes in and keeps the score where it was, especially in those extra innings. That’s why we had a chance to win.” Berríos didn’t have as dominant an outing as his previous two starts, striking out four Cubs batters while allowing 10 hits, one walk and four earned runs. But the Blue Jays’ bullpen came up big, as has been the case in the latter part of this season, keeping Chicago off the board from the seventh inning on. It was the kind of win to build on. The Blue Jays have a two-game lead over the Orioles for the final Wild Card spot in the American League and are just one game out of first place in a race with a chance to go down to the wire.
