With a potential Game 5 on the line, Blue Jays manager John Schneider opted to go with a bullpen game on Wednesday night.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone opted for a balanced lineup to discourage targeted matchups, but Schneider implemented his strategy flawlessly.
The Blue Jays’ skipper utilized lefty matchups throughout the evening, leading a collective, dominant pitching effort from the bullpen to eliminate the defending American League champion Yankees in Game 4 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium.
“We’ve done this before,” Schneider noted ahead of Game 4. “Many teams have. There isn’t a set script. Each player understands their role within the lineup, and changes can happen quickly. We began discussing [lanes] around 1:00 today.
“There isn’t a perfect formula. You aim to place players in optimal positions. Ultimately, they must execute pitches. Considerations like score and innings are crucial. You’re just trying to align things right.”
Schneider’s bullpen conceded only six hits and two runs, dominating a team that led the league in runs scored entering the postseason.
Louis Varland opened for the Jays, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings before passing the ball to Mason Fluharty, the lone lefty reliever to concede a run via a Ryan McMahon solo homer. Fluharty was one of three left-handers used that evening, alongside Eric Lauer, who delivered 1.2 shutout innings, and Brendon Little, who pitched a scoreless seventh.
Seranthony Dominguez, Yasiel Rodriguez and were among the right-handers who got in on the action, combining for two scoreless innings.
Braydon Fisher got into some trouble in the eighth inning, allowing two runners to reach before Schneider called on closer Jeff Hoffman for the final four outs. Hoffman got Austin Wells to fly out with the bases loaded to end the eighth.
The closer recorded to final three outs, and the Jays celebrated on the Yankees’ field, winning the series in four games.
Now, the Blue Jays will await the winner of Game 5 between the Tigers and Mariners to see who they will face in the American League Championship Series.
