In a matchup dripping with playoff tension, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. wasted no time making his mark in the American League Division Series. The Toronto Blue Jays first baseman crushed a towering home run to left-center field in the first inning against the New York Yankees on Friday night, propelling his team to an early 2-1 lead that held firm through the middle innings. It was Guerrero's first career postseason homer, a 385-foot shot that silenced the Yankee Stadium crowd and evoked memories of his father's legendary exploits against the same franchise.
The senior Vladimir Guerrero, a Hall of Famer and former Montreal Expos star, terrorized pitchers in his prime, but it's the son who's now carrying that torch with a vengeance. Indeed, Guerrero Jr. has a knack for shining brightest against the Yankees—think back to his four-hit explosion earlier this season in the Bronx or that go-ahead single in July that snapped a Toronto skid. On this night, however, the stakes felt even higher. With the Blue Jays clinging to a wild card spot and the Yankees riding high as division champs, every swing carried weight.
By the seventh inning, the score stood at Blue Jays 2, Yankees 1, with Toronto's bullpen holding the line after starter Kevin Gausman navigated a shaky start. Jazz Chisholm Jr. answered for New York with a solo homer, but the visitors' early aggression set the tone. Guerrero went 1-for-2 up to that point, his blast scoring himself and setting up a rally that included sharp singles from George Springer and Bo Bichette. The Yankees, meanwhile, stranded runners in key spots, their offense sputtering against a Jays staff that seemed one step ahead.
Moreover, this series opener underscores the Blue Jays' resilience amid a season of upheaval—trades, injuries, and contract standoffs with stars like Guerrero, who's eyeing free agency next year. Yet here he was, delivering when it mattered most. However, the Yankees aren't out yet; Aaron Judge looms large, and their lineup has a way of awakening in October.
As the inning stretched on, one couldn't help but wonder if this early fireworks display signals a deeper Blue Jays surge or just another chapter in the endless Yankees torment.