Home runs from Alejandro Kirk and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. headlined a stunning day for the Toronto Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre, as they walloped the New York Yankees 10-1 to take a 1-0 lead in their American League Division Series.<\/p>\n
Guerrero crushed his first\u00a0career\u00a0postseason homer, red-hot Kirk mashed two solo shots, and the Jays added a pile of late-game runs to turn a close game into a drubbing, as the club recorded its first playoff victory since 2016.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The hard-slugging first baseman Guerrero opened the scoring in the first inning when he broke his own recent batting slump by cracking his first homer in 21 games.\u00a0He went 3-for-4 at the plate in his best postseason performance yet.<\/p>\n
Kirk enhanced Toronto\u2019s lead in the second with his solo shot into deep left.<\/p>\n
Cathal Kelly: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doesn\u2019t just want to win, he wants to humiliate the opposition<\/a><\/p>\n Things got tense in the top of the sixth, when Toronto starter Kevin Gausman loaded the bases while leading by just two runs.\u00a0In one of the most significant moments of the game, Gausman was able to punch out Yankees superstar Aaron Judge swinging to stop the slugger from breaking open the game.\u00a0Gausman then walked in the Yankees only run before exiting the game after 5 2\/3 innings, having allowed four hits while striking out three and walking two.<\/p>\n \u201cKind of mano a mano in that moment,\u201d said Gausman of the Judge at-bat. \u201cIt\u2019s me versus you. I\u2019m going to give it everything I got.\u201d<\/p>\n Louis Varland then entered in relief, and New York\u2019s other runners were left stranded. Varland struck out Giancarlo Stanton swinging with a four-seam fastball that clocked 100.7\u00a0miles per hour.<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly, I think Louis Varland versus anybody right now, I would take him,\u201d said Gausman of Varland. \u201cHe\u2019s so electric.\u201d<\/p>\n The Jays added eight more runs in a scorching stretch over the seventh and eighth innings. They scored in myriad ways, including an RBI single and double from Andres Gimenez, a pair of RBIs from Nathan Lukes, and sacrifice flies from Guerrero and Ernie Clement.<\/p>\n Plus, Kirk clubbed his second homerun of the day, bringing the catcher\u2019s homer total to an astonishing five in three games.\u00a0<\/p>\n Open this photo in gallery:<\/a><\/p>\n Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Ernie Clement celebrate after defeating the New York Yankees on Saturday.Vaughn Ridley\/Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels amazing to me, but it\u2019s work paying off. It\u2019s hard work that I\u2019ve been putting in for these years,\u201d said Kirk. \u201cMore important than that, what I\u2019m happy is that we came out with a victory.\u201d<\/p>\n The Jays also had some outstanding plays defensively, including a layout catch by Lukes and a sliding grab by Daulton Varsho in the field, plus an unassisted double play at first base by Guerrero after his own leaping catch.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody\u2019s ready for the game,\u201d said Guerrero when asked why this Jays team could win in the playoffs while past editions didn\u2019t. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re starting the game, if you\u2019re coming off the bench, everybody to know what they have to do, and then whenever they get the chance, they come up ready and do the job.\u201d<\/p>\n New York yanked its starter Luis Gil from the game after just 2 2\/3 innings after he allowed four hits.<\/p>\n Game 2 is Sunday afternoon in Toronto, with Jays rookie Trey Yesavage taking the hill for the Jays. Max Fried will start for the Yankees.<\/p>\n More Blue Jays coverage<\/p>\n