Blue Jays Batter Yankees, Rookie Trey Yesavage Makes History in Game 2 Rout
By Rob Reinhart
The Rogers Centre was rocking Saturday night as the Toronto Blue Jays surged to a commanding 13–7 win over the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the 2025 American League Division Series. The victory gave Toronto a 2–0 series lead and put them just one win away from their first ALCS appearance since 2016.
But the story of the night belonged to a rookie — and a record-breaking one at that.
Yesavage Dominates in Postseason Debut
Trey Yesavage, Toronto’s 22-year-old right-hander, delivered a dazzling performance in his postseason debut. Over 5⅓ innings, he struck out 11 Yankees and didn’t allow a hit before manager John Schneider pulled him to a thunderous ovation from the home crowd.
Yesavage’s 11 strikeouts set a Blue Jays postseason record for a single game, and his composure on the mound belied his age and experience. “It’s something I dreamed about my whole life,” Yesavage said after the game. “To do it here, in front of this crowd, against a team like that — it’s unreal.”
Early Fireworks Set the Tone
The Blue Jays’ offense, already potent in Game 1, erupted early again. In the bottom of the second inning, utilityman Ernie Clement launched a two-run homer into the left-field seats, igniting the Toronto faithful and giving the Jays a 2–0 lead.
They piled on in the third. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ripped an RBI double, Daulton Varsho added an RBI single, and Bo Bichette drove in another run on a groundout. By the time the inning ended, it was 5–0 and the Yankees were already on the ropes.
The knockout blow came an inning later. With the bases loaded in the fourth, Guerrero Jr. unloaded on a hanging curveball from reliever Will Warren, sending a grand slam deep into the left-field stands. The Rogers Centre shook as Guerrero flipped his bat and jogged around the bases with a grin.
“Vladdy’s swing changed everything,” manager Schneider said. “That was the exclamation point.”
Yankees Reeling, Fried Falters
New York’s starter Max Fried never found his rhythm. The veteran left-hander was tagged for seven runs on eight hits in just over three innings of work. Manager Aaron Boone turned to his bullpen early, but the damage was already done.
Toronto’s relentless lineup kept pressing, adding two more home runs — both from Daulton Varsho — to push the lead to 13–2 by the sixth inning.
“Every mistake they made, we punished,” Guerrero Jr. said postgame. “That’s the kind of baseball we want to play.”
Late Rally Falls Short
The Yankees mounted a small rally in the late innings. Cody Bellinger hit a two-run homer in the sixth, and Giancarlo Stanton added a pair of RBI hits to trim the deficit. But it was far too little, too late.
The Blue Jays’ bullpen, anchored by Jordan Romano and Yimi García, closed the door with minimal drama, sealing the blowout victory.
One Win Away
With the win, Toronto heads to Yankee Stadium needing just one more victory to punch their ticket to the ALCS. Game 3 is set for Monday, with José Berríos expected to take the mound for Toronto against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.
“This team believes,” Schneider said. “We’re playing our best baseball at the right time — and if we keep this energy, we can go a long way.”
As for Yesavage, the rookie who silenced the Yankees under October’s brightest lights, his name is now etched in Toronto postseason lore — and his emergence might just be the spark that carries the Blue Jays deep into October.