Playoff baseball is the time for stars to take their game to the next level, but sometimes trying too hard leads to costly blunders.
Down 2–0 in the fifth inning of Game 2 of their American League Wild Card series, the Blue Jays had runners on second and third with two outs and Bo Bichette up with a chance to tie the game. However, Bichette never got that chance, as Twins pitcher Sonny Gray successfully picked off Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who was leaning too far off of second base.
While Toronto challenged the play, Guerrero was clearly out, and the Blue Jays’ rally ended with their cleanup hitter unable to try and make an impact.
What a massive pickoff by the @Twins! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/i4g9ULQmjx
— MLB (@MLB) October 4, 2023
Toronto entered the game needing to win in order to play a Game 3, or else its season will end. Minnesota struck first in the fourth inning, scoring two runs, forcing the Blue Jays to go into comeback mode in order to save their season.
However Guerrero, who had just a .788 OPS and 26 home runs in 156 games during the regular season, was too anxious to try and make something happen, taking the bat out of his teammate’s hands in a crucial moment.
Guerrero’s gaffe proved devastating for the Blue Jays, who never scored in the 2–0 defeat. The loss eliminated Toronto from the playoffs, while the Twins advanced to the ALDS, where they will face the Astros.
