Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look at the week's news and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week's list inclu...
Blue Jays fever swept through the Barley Mill Brew Pub in Regina on Sunday night as Toronto demolished the New York Yankees 13-7 in Game 2 of the American League Division Series.
The Jays dominated the game from the first inning, piling up 15 hits and five home runs, including the first postseason grand slam in the franchise’s history from Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Read more:
- Saskatoon Berries’ Joe Carnahan claims 2025 WCBL Coach of the Year honours
- Regina Rams clinch playoff berth with gritty win over Calgary Dinos
- Riders back in the win column, knock off the Redblacks 20-13
Rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage threw five no-hit innings with 11 strikeouts to set a club playoff record before handing things to the bullpen. Toronto led 12-0 through five, while the Yankees didn’t break through until a five-run seventh.
Inside the packed Barley Mill, fans cheered every swing.
Darrell Prentice, who was watching the action from a table near the bar, said it was the most dominant game he’s seen from Toronto in years.
“They’re really on the bat, and this could be a short series,” Prentice said. “If they stay on the bat like this, they can win everything.”
The win gave Toronto a 2-0 series lead after a 10-1 victory in Game 1 and put them just one step away from advancing. Guerrero drove in four runs and Daulton Varsho went four-for-five with two homers, while George Springer and Ernie Clement added solo shots.
Todd Taylor, another Barley Mill regular, said he expected the Jays to be good, but he didn’t expect the team to be so overpowering.
“I don’t think they’re going to sweep it, but they’re going to have a tough time getting there,” Taylor said.
Between innings, fans swapped predictions and compared the atmosphere to the Jays’ 2015 and 2016 playoff runs that reignited baseball across Canada. Blue and white jerseys filled nearly every table, with chants echoing every time Toronto tacked on another run.
Jonathan Phillips said the night felt like a return to the team’s glory years.
“It’s exciting for Toronto fans,” Phillips said. “They haven’t really had success since those years… It’s awesome to see them beat up on the Yankees again.”
Prentice said if the Jays keep playing like this, the celebrations are just getting started.
“I think they’ll win it in three, maybe four games,” he said. “And as for the World Series, we’ll see.”
The Blue Jays now head to New York looking to finish the sweep and reach their first American League Championship Series since 2016.
