Published Jul 25, 2025 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 Last updated 12\u00a0hours ago \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 4 minute read<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n You can save this article by registering for free here<\/a>. Or sign-in<\/a> if you have an account.<\/p>\n \u2018Best in baseball\u2019 are three words no one would have dared utter when describing a Blue Jays team that ended last season dead last in the AL East.<\/p>\n Advertisement 2<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authors<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n But following Friday night\u2019s 6-2 win over the host Detroit Tigers, the Jays can officially lay claim to Major League Baseball\u2019s best record.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n At 62-42, the Jays have not been atop MLB\u2019s overall standings this late into a season since 1992 \u2014 the year they won their first World Series.<\/p>\n Friday\u2019s win pushed Toronto ahead of the 61-42 Milwaukee Brewers, who lost to Miami earlier in the day. Many more games await, but the Jays continue to find ways to win with everyone in the lineup producing.<\/p>\n What they don\u2019t do is beat themselves, which can\u2019t be said about their opponents.<\/p>\n The following are three takeaways from Comerica Park, where the Jays went homerless, but did record 13 hits, including four for extra bases.<\/p>\n Your Midday Sun<\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Advertisement 3<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n 1. Vlad the hit man<\/p>\n While it\u2019s true the Jays could use more thump from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and coming through in the big moment with a game at stake, it\u2019s also true that the half-billion dollar man in waiting has been swinging it well.<\/p>\n Vladdy went 2-for-5, with both hits being doubles. With the Jays down 1-0, he led off the fourth with a two-bagger and scored on Addison Barger\u2019s double. The hit extended Guerrero\u2019s streak to seven games.<\/p>\n Next time up, in the fifth \u2014 yet another four-run inning for the team \u2014 his double plated Nathan Lukes and gave him 10 hits in his past four games.<\/p>\n Vlad\u2019s swing is as smooth as ever. That being said, he\u2019ll have to provide some consistent power at some point where he carries the team offensively.<\/p>\n Advertisement 4<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n 2. Tough act to follow<\/p>\n Following a brilliant outing by lefty Eric Lauer in the series opener, Jose Berrios was tasked with keeping the ball rolling Friday night.<\/p>\n Mission accomplished. Despite giving up the game\u2019s first run on an RBI double in the second inning, then a Spencer Torkelson homer in the sixth, Berrios looked solid, allowing just five hits and two walks in his six innings while striking out six.<\/p>\n Of note, Berrios twice faced Tigers veteran Javier Baez \u2014 his brother-in-law \u2014 and struck him out both times. Baez, who is enjoying a renaissance season for Detroit, has only one hit in his career off Berrios.<\/p>\n 3. Leader of the pack<\/p>\n A veritable hodge podge of players have been slotted in the leadoff spot for the Jays this season, beginning with Bo Bichette.<\/p>\n Advertisement 5<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Recently, the Jays have gone with a platoon approach that has seen Lukes hits leadoff when opponents throw a right-hander at the Jays. Ernie Clement was used against left-handers until he began to struggle at the plate. And when the Yankees were in town and had southpaw Max Fried on the mound, it was Davis Schneider who hit leadoff.<\/p>\n Pretty difficult to quibble with this plan of attack when so much has gone right for the Jays.<\/p>\n Against Detroit\u2019s Keider Montero, a right-hander, Lukes went the other way on the game\u2019s first pitch to reach base on a single. He actually led off three different innings on Friday and went 2-for-3.<\/p>\n The profile of a leadoff hitter varies from team to team, but in the case of Lukes and Clement, each has excellent bat control, allowing both to consistently put the ball in play. Schneider is more of a free swinger in the mold of Bichette. Clement, meanwhile, has gone 5-for-13 with a homer in his past three games, which might be enough to return him to the leadoff role for Saturday\u2019s game against Tigers\u2019 ace left-hander Tarik Skubal.<\/p>\n Advertisement 6<\/p>\n This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Another leadoff side note: No. 9 hitter Will Wagner led off the third inning and grounded out. He was the only Jay not to collect a hit on this night.<\/p>\n Wagner, meanwhile, will be taking a leave to head to Cooperstown where he\u2019ll join his family as his dad, reliever Billy Wagner, is inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this weekend.<\/p>\n Will Wagner will rejoin the Jays for their four-game series in Baltimore, which begins Monday.<\/p>\n Up next<\/p>\n The Jays haven\u2019t faced Skubal since the 2023 season, but they will on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 6:10 p.m.. The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner started for the AL in the all-star game. Recently reinstated from the paternity list, Skubal is one of baseball\u2019s premier pitchers, recording 164 strikeouts, while compiling a 10-3 record and boasting a 2.19 ERA. RHP Kevin Gausman (7-7, 4.01 ERA, 112 Ks) will start for the Jays.<\/p>\n Article content<\/p>\n Share this article in your social network<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Breadcrumb Trail Links SportsBaseballMLBToronto Blue Jays Get the latest from Frank Zicarelli straight to your inbox Sign Up…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":25756,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43,44,41,39,42,40],"class_list":["post-25755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25755"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25755\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"lukes](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CP174800813-e1753497864477.jpg\")
Second baseman Ernie Clement and centre fielder Nathan Lukes, — the Blue Jays leadoff platoon — celebrate after their win over the Tigers on Friday, July 25, 2025, in Detroit. Photo by Ryan Sun \/AP photoArticle content<\/p>\n![\"Toronto](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/19.1.5\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-tsun.svg\"){kind=logo}
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It also expanded their lead atop the AL East to 51\/2 games over the New York Yankees, losers again to the visiting Phillies.<\/p>\n![\"opening](\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/19.1.5\/websites\/images\/newsletters\/icon-sun-middaySun.svg\"\/){kind=icon}
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