'Cloud 9': Yesavage's brilliance hands Blue Jays 2-0 ALDS lead

We'll have you covered throughout the ALDS between the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. Here are our takeaways from the Blue Jays' 13-7 win in Sunday's Game 2.

'This has got to be cloud nine'

Trey Yesavage said prior to his Game 2 start - just the fourth of his MLB career - that he was "built for this" moment.

He wasn't kidding.

The 22-year-old, who began the season pitching in A-Ball in Dunedin, held the Yankees hitless over 5 1/3 innings, striking out 11. Yesavage did this against a New York team that finished the regular season with the highest OPS against right-handed pitching in MLB.

"This has got to be cloud nine," Yesavage said postgame after receiving a curtain call for his outing. "I couldn't imagine a better feeling right now."

Things were going so well for the rookie that fans briefly booed John Schneider when the manager went to the mound to remove Yesavage in the sixth inning after 78 pitches with the Blue Jays leading 12-0.

"I know I was getting booed when I went out there, but he wasn't going to go 120, 130 pitches," Schneider said with a laugh. "Just wanted to let him get recognized for a job well done."

Schneider added: "I'll take getting booed like that every time."

Aaron Boone acknowledged pregame that Yesavage's splitter had the potential to cause problems for his team, especially against left-handed hitters. His assessment proved spot on. Yesavage generated 11 whiffs on 16 swings on his splitter, while seven of his 11 strikeouts came on the pitch.

"That was nasty stuff," Boone said following the loss. "That split is unlike much you ever run into. He got it going, starting it up a lot, breaking it down off the plate, using his fastball enough and slider enough. But we just didn't have an answer for the split. He was on his game."

Yesavage set the bar high with his pregame comments, and he more than delivered.

"I was sitting in there thinking about the comment I made the other day, where I said, 'I'm built for this.' And I was like, well, I'd better back that up," Yesavage said postgame. "I wanted to go out there and do the best I possibly could. Thankfully, it stayed true to that."

'He's our dude'

Following the series opener, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said one of his primary goals after signing his extension is to win a World Series - not only for the organization, but for his father, who never won a championship during his Hall of Fame career.

While the Blue Jays still have a long road to go this postseason, the goal will be a lot more attainable if Guerrero keeps swinging like this. The 26-year-old went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs in Game 1, then followed it up by going 3-for-5 in Game 2, including the first postseason grand slam in franchise history.

"That's a huge swing for him, huge swing in the game obviously, but kind of cool for him the last two to have some moments, right, because he's our guy," Schneider said. "He's our dude."

Guerrero's now 6-for-9 in the ALDS with two home runs and six RBIs. He's yet to strike out.

He finally seems to be putting his mark on the organization and carving out his own place in the team's history.

'I totally blacked out'

Of course, it's not all about Guerrero. The Blue Jays' balanced attack is one of the reasons the team's been so successful this season.

Nathan Lukes was one of the offensive heroes in Game 1, and utility man Ernie Clement got things going in Game 2 with his second-inning home run off Max Fried.

It was the first postseason homer of Clement's career.

"I had to walk back into the clubhouse and kind of gather myself because my heart was beating so fast. I was so excited," Clement said. "Had to reel it back in and then finish the ballgame."

Clement added: "I don't remember anything. I totally blacked out. I honestly don't know what I was doing. I looked like an idiot, but it is what it is."

Daulton Varsho finished Game 2 4-for-5 with two home runs and a double to improve to 6-for-8 in the series. What's most encouraging was his two doubles off the lefty Fried. Varsho had an excellent offensive year, but injuries derailed his campaign. He hit 20 homers in 71 games during the regular season.

Schneider made a point to mention Varsho in his postgame availability, as so many other key performers overshadowed the center fielder's night.

"Yesterday was Lukey with a big day, Gimmy (Andrés Giménez) with a big day. Today was Ernie. I think we're kind of not really talking about Varsho's day at the plate, kind of ho-hum, a couple doubles, a couple homers," Schneider said. "But I think it's cool for everyone to kind of chip in."

Seven of Toronto's nine starters recorded hits in both Games 1 and 2. Additionally, the club's 6-through-9 batters are 10-for-29 (.345) in the series, with six RBIs and four strikeouts.

The Blue Jays' 23 runs are the most for any team through the first two games of a playoff series in MLB history. They're pairing power with discipline, posting eight home runs to seven strikeouts compared to New York's one homer and 21 punchouts.

"The not striking out thing is pretty awesome because we're just grinding in there, trying to be a tough at-bat, and it's one through nine not giving away at-bats," Clement said. "Just trying to make it tough on their pitchers."

'I didn't get it done'

Fried was excellent in Game 1 of the wild-card series, throwing 6 1/3 shutout innings against the Boston Red Sox. However, he almost immediately ran into trouble with the Blue Jays' contact-oriented lineup.

After a scoreless first inning, Fried allowed a two-run home run to Clement in the second. The left-hander had bigger problems in the third, surrendering three more runs off three hits and a walk. He allowed a single to Giménez and a walk to Myles Straw - who tried to lay down a sacrifice bunt before taking ball four - and then was lifted from the contest.

"They obviously had a really good approach. They were on a lot of my pitches," Fried said, according to SNY. "Credit to them, I didn't get it done. It's frustrating, especially coming out in a game like this. I needed to have a good one, and to come out with a 5-0 lead with two guys on, it's putting (the team) in a pretty big hole."

Fried struck out six and generated a game-high 19 whiffs while allowing four hits against the Red Sox, but he managed only one strikeout and five swing-and-misses against the Blue Jays.

"They obviously had some hard contact," Boone said. "They were able to find some holes with their contact. Just not his sharpest, obviously."

Rogers Centre hasn't been kind to the Yankees this season, with the loss dropping them to 1-8 at the stadium. Fried's allowed 15 runs over 14 1/3 innings (9.42 ERA) in Toronto in 2025.

'The needle can change'

The Yankees will have their work cut out for them if they're to come back in this series.

Teams that have won the first two games of the League Division Series have gone on to win 31 out of 34 (91%) times. The 2017 Yankees - Aaron Judge's rookie season - were the last squad to overcome a 0-2 deficit when they rallied to beat Cleveland.

"We got experience," Judge said, according to YES Network. "We've got guys that have been to the World Series, have been in some tough moments (with our) backs against the wall, especially all season long. We just got to show up and do our thing."

The Yankees' offense was held to one run over the first 14 innings but managed to erupt for seven runs across the sixth and seventh innings of Game 2 against a number of Toronto's relievers. The Blue Jays needed five different pitchers to record five outs after Yesavage departed with one out in the sixth.

Boone said he believes his clubhouse will remain confident despite being outscored 23-8 through the first two games. New York did go 50-31 at Yankee Stadium this year, including a 4-2 record against the Blue Jays.

"Baseball is a funny game. I know we'll show up and be ready to go expecting to win Tuesday night," Boone said. "It feels like the world's caving in around you, you lose two games like that in their building where it doesn't go right. But all of a sudden, you go out there and win a ballgame on Tuesday, the needle can change.

"We haven't lost any confidence. Obviously, they've had our number and gotten the better of us so far this year, but I don't think anyone in our room doesn't feel like we can't go out and beat them."