Toronto Blue Jays Stun MLB With Blockbuster Trade, Igniting 2025 Playoff Push

TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays shook off a rough week and jolted their Wild Card push with an electric 8-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday afternoon at Rogers Centre. The win snapped a two-game slide and prevented a sweep at the hands of the club with the National League’s best record, sending 40,312 Labor Day-weekend fans home buzzing about a potential September surge. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ignited the offence with a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth inning, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored. New top-of-the-order spark Myles Straw laced a two-run base hit moments later, doubling the lead and continuing the torrid stretch that has seen him reach safely in 11 of 12 games since arriving from Cleveland. Rookie outfielder Nathan Lukes delivered his own two-run double and later added a sacrifice fly, matching a career high with three RBIs as Toronto pounded out 13 hits against Brewers ace Brandon Woodruff. Right-hander José Berríos (10-7) scattered seven hits over six resilient frames, limiting Milwaukee to William Contreras’ two-run homer and a pair of sacrifice flies. The bullpen trio of Erik Swanson, Tim Mayza and Jordan Romano slammed the door with three scoreless innings, giving manager John Schneider a desperately needed blueprint for late-inning stability as the calendar flips to September. The timing could not be better. Toronto entered the day trailing Kansas City by just a half-game for the American League’s final Wild Card berth and will now host the struggling Orioles for three before embarking on a daunting West Coast swing. With the Mariners, Angels and Astros all within three games of each other, every series looms large. Blue Jays fortify infield depth with Kiner-Falefa waiver claim Hours before first pitch, general manager Ross Atkins quietly boosted the roster by claiming versatile infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates, reuniting the former Gold Glove third baseman with bench coach Don Mattingly from their Yankees days. Kiner-Falefa is expected to join the club Monday and could see immediate action at shortstop while Bo Bichette nurses a sore right quad. Key takeaways for the stretch run • Guerrero heating up: Since August 15 the first baseman is slashing .364/.413/.591, erasing memories of his midsummer slump and reaffirming his place as the lineup’s engine. • Straw effect: Toronto’s offence averages 5.4 runs per game when the speedster starts in center field; that figure was 4.1 before his arrival. • Rotation resurgence: Berríos, Kevin Gausman and rookie Ricky Tiedemann have combined for a 2.67 ERA over their last nine outings, restoring confidence after July’s injury-plagued stumble. • Wild Card math: The Jays own the AL’s easiest remaining schedule by opponents’ winning percentage (.475), while the Royals (.514) and Mariners (.508) face considerably tougher roads. Looking ahead Toronto opens a pivotal three-game set against Baltimore on Monday night. Gausman (11-9, 3.42) opposes Grayson Rodriguez (9-6, 4.08) in a matchup dripping with playoff implications. Win that series and the Blue Jays could wake up Friday morning in possession of a postseason berth; drop it and the West Coast gauntlet grows even more treacherous. For a club that has yo-yoed above and below the cut line all season, Sunday’s statement win felt foundational. As Straw put it afterward in a jubilant clubhouse: “We know what we’re capable of. Now it’s time to show the rest of the league every single day.” The September spotlight is officially on Toronto — and the Blue Jays just reminded baseball they thrive under bright lights.