Blue Jays earn 45th comeback win of the year

TORONTO – Forty-five times there has been magic in the Toronto Blue Jays dugout.

Alejandro Kirk’s sacrifice fly in the ninth inning completed yet another Blue Jays comeback as Toronto stunned the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 on Saturday. The Blue Jays scored three in the ninth inning for their 45th comeback win of the season, the most in Major League Baseball.

It’s the fourth most come-from-behind victories in franchise history behind 1987 (50), 1983 (47), and 1984 (46). Saturday’s rally surpassed the 44 comebacks racked up by Toronto’s eventual 1993 World Series championship team.

“The energy, it’s unbelievable in the dugout, especially in those kind of moments,” said Kirk through translator Hector Lebron. “Everybody just paying attention to every base hit, every pitch. Everybody’s there supporting each other. It’s unbelievable.

“That’s one of the things that I really believe is helping us to win games.”

Addison Barger led off the fifth with a home run as Toronto (86-62) was trailing the Orioles 2-0. Kirk and fellow pinch-hitter Joey Loperfido had RBI singles in the eighth and ninth innings respectively to keep the Blue Jays within a run.

Light-hitting Andres Gimenez then singled to score Ernie Clement and tie the game 4-4. George Springer drew a walk in the next at bat to load the bases with one out.

Kirk connected on a 95.5 m.p.h. sinker, the second pitch he saw from Baltimore reliever Yennier Cano, popping 321 feet out to centre field and giving Loperfido time to score from third for Toronto’s ninth walk-off win of the season.

“I was excited, I was ready for the at bat, I was trying to put good contact on the ball,” said Kirk. “Knowing that even if I didn’t make contact I have (all-star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) in that lineup behind me.”

The Blue Jays extended their win streak to three games as they try to clinch a post-season berth and then sew up the American League East pennant. Toronto currently has the best record in the AL, putting them in a position to get a bye in the first round of the playoffs.

Manager John Schneider said Toronto’s propensity for late comebacks can be tough to watch but exhilarating.

“Think it just says a lot about the character of the guys in the clubhouse, it kind of gets contagious a little bit,” said Schneider. “The offence late, man, it’s not great for my heart, it’s not great on my ticker, but it’s awesome to watch unfold.”

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Max Scherzer went five innings for the Blue Jays, giving up two runs on four hits, striking out five. Tommy Nance, Eric Lauer, Seranthony Dominguez and Braydon Fisher followed Scherzer to the mound. Fisher picked up the win to improve to 6-0.

Scherzer threw 91 pitches in the outing and he said it was part of an agreed-upon plan with Schneider to try and let the 41-year-old surefire Hall of Famer rest before the post-season.

“We talked about how we should manage this one so that we’re really good for the next two to go into the playoffs,” said Scherzer. “That’s just where we are thinking and how we’re managing.”

The National League-leading Milwaukee Brewers became the first team to clinch a playoff berth later Saturday. Toronto’s win helped it stay three games ahead of the Yankees in the American League East after New York beat the Boston Red Sox 5-3 at Fenway Park.

Boston dropped to 5 1/2 games back of the Blue Jays with the loss.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2025.

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