TORONTO – In October, every pitch, swing, play and decision is heightened everywhere. On the field, in the dugout, in the game-planning meetings pregame and, more than any time or any other place, after the game is played out and the result of all those decisions are final.
But enough about Friday night. The Blue Jays have to move on to Game 6 on Sunday – because their season is on the line, down 3-2 as the ALCS shifts back to Toronto. They have to win two games in a row to reach their first World Series since 1993.
They need every arm to execute every pitch to do it. And it will be a near all-hands-on-deck situation for the Blue Jays, Schneider said on Saturday, with every pitcher who is “physically available” to throw available out of the bullpen.
If the Blue Jays learned anything from that game, it’s to not count out Mad Max.
“You’ll see some guys that you normally haven’t seen in the bullpen and you try to pick the right spots for them,” Schneider said. “We want to try to operate as normal as possible, but if situations pop up, I think everyone will be available.”
Facing elimination, the Blue Jays are turning once again to rookie starter Trey Yesavage, and their bullpen deployment is going to hinge on the 22-year-old’s performance. If he dominates like he did against the Yankees in the AL Division Series, the Blue Jays want him on the mound as long as possible. If the Mariners’ approach looks like it did in Game 2, laying off Yesavage’s splitter and taking advantage of mistake pitches, he could be facing a quick hook.
“Read the swings they’re taking,” Schneider said of how to manage the starter. “You got to see how the game unfolds a little bit. It’s not going to be a set script or anything like that. I think that in games that you have to win, you may be a little bit more aggressive, but at the same time, don’t want to deviate too much from what we’ve been doing.”
What Schneider can count on is that he’ll need his relievers to step up behind Yesavage, no matter what inning those gates in right field swing open. Toronto’s bullpen, inconsistent all season, has a 6.57 ERA this postseason, worst among teams in the playoff field with at least three games played.
In the regular season, the Blue Jays’ 3.98 bullpen ERA ranked 16th in MLB.
“Everything gets magnified this time of year,” Schneider said. “Decisions get magnified, pitches get magnified. I get it. It is what it is. But these guys will bounce back. Everyone on our team bounces back, and they’re going to be asked to be in big spots again, and I want them to be ready for it.
“We’ll be ready to play. I wouldn’t have it any other way with this group.”
Who might be able to step up behind Yesavage? The obvious high-leverage options are right-handers Seranthony Domínguez and closer Jeff Hoffman. They should be the relievers Schneider turns to in the biggest moments of Game 6, against the heart of the Mariners’ order.
A good bet as a bridge reliever in the mid-to-late innings is righty Louis Varland, who has pitched in all but one game this postseason (Game 3 of the ALCS), allowing three runs in 8 1/3 innings.
If Yesavage really gets into trouble, that’s when Toronto could turn to Scherzer. Righty Chris Bassitt – who has pitched once since Sept. 18 (Game 2 of this series) – and lefty Eric Lauer could be other long-relief options, but they seem less likely if the game is close.
The Blue Jays could ask righties Braydon Fisher and Yariel Rodríguez to step into bigger roles and get bigger outs. The lefty in high leverage will continue to be Little, and Schneider reiterated Saturday that he continues to trust his players in those big moments. The other lefty the Blue Jays have on the roster, beyond Lauer, is Mason Fluharty.
This is now a series that has spanned a week, and both teams have seen the other’s bullpen at all stages, in low- and high-leverage situations. Execution will matter – in the decision-making process and the performance. There’s no other option for the Blue Jays.
“You don’t have to give them a rah-rah speech, you don’t have to do any kind of stuff like that,” Schneider said. “They’re ready for it. That’s the beauty of this team. They move on to the next thing.”
