ALDS Game 1 - New York Yankees @ Toronto Blue Jays, Saturday October 4, 2025, 4:08PM, (Pg 6)

[Randle McMurphy]

I would have left Hoffman and his "dead arm" off the team in place of Bassitt. The goal is to win and not about "feelings". I do not care if he was the Closer. He is the last guy I trust to get 3 outs right now in that bullpen.

They had the courage to yank Scherzer, so you'd assume they'd be willing to do the same with Chris - neither have contracts with the team next year anyway so the repercussions from hurt feelings are limited.

I'm assuming Bassitt is actually still hurt.

Both are bad matchups vs a team with this many LHBs and their splits.

Scherzer is also a pretty terrible matchup against any team though at this point.

[JN]

I predicted they might go with 4 lefties instead of Bassitt, but didn't think they would have the balls to do it in the end.

If you were not comfortable with Bassitt starting game 4, and were leaning to a bullpen game (or even a short Gausman Start) you are much better off bringing and an extra lefty onto your team.

We already have an abundance of righty relivers, 6 of them, (Fisher, Dominguez Nance, Varland, Hoffman, Yariel), for a team that has lots of lefty hitters. I would much prefer an extra situational lefty then a long reliver.

You don't need long relievers when you get 2 days off in a 5 game series.

[JN]

I still think its quite possible that Gausman starts game 4, in a 3 to 4 inning start on short rest. Sort of a modified bullpen game, where you are expecting a few less innings out of your bullpen. Of course that will depend on a number of factors
- its a must that Yesavage have a good game 2.
- How good have the rest of the bullpen guys have been up to game 4. Do you have faith in the pen to go 9 innings instead of 5 or 6.
- How did Gausman do in game 1.

The Jays spent the entire season trying to give their starters more rest, and Gausman even said that his recent good stretch is due to extra rest. I don't think they mess with that now. Gausman in Game 1 means he'll have 5 days rest heading into Game 5, if necessary. With how good the bullpen game looked against the Red Sox last week, I think that's what we see in Game 4 regardless of what the series looks like at that point.

Teams always mess with things in the playoffs, especially if they are against the ropes (say down 2-1). Using how they did things in the regular season as a guide isn't always a great way to look at things.

Let's hope they are up 2-1. At that point they clearly go with a bullpen game. But down 2-1 - lot of things will be considered, and it will depend on what went well (or didn't go well) the first 3 games.

I would think that the initial plan right now is probably trying to use Eric Lauer for 3-4 innings in game 4, be it as a starter or the follower, and not using him much before then.

[bballsparkin]

It seems like the pressure is on the Yankees. A guy was calling the Jays "Frauds" last night on 590AM while I was driving. Might have been Michael Kay. He basically said Boone gets fired if the NYY's lose.

Definitely not Michael Kay

Perhaps, Chris McMonigile? Not sure. I couldn't find a good schedule of the 590 shows. He wasn't buying Jays stocks that's for sure.

[Mehar]

I would have left Hoffman and his "dead arm" off the team in place of Bassitt. The goal is to win and not about "feelings". I do not care if he was the Closer. He is the last guy I trust to get 3 outs right now in that bullpen.

They had the courage to yank Scherzer, so you'd assume they'd be willing to do the same with Chris - neither have contracts with the team next year anyway so the repercussions from hurt feelings are limited.

I'm assuming Bassitt is actually still hurt.

I was talking about the hurt feelings of Hoffman, and not Scherzer or Bassitt. I would have left Hoffman off the playoff roster. Just would have put him on the DL in the hopes he would have regained his velocity from earlier in the year in the time for the ALCS. Hoffman was regularly hitting 98 and 99 miles per hour, and not 94 miles which he is hitting recently.

[JN]

I do find it interesting that we went from a 6 man rotation at the end of August... to just using 2 of them in October.
At the time of the 6 man rotation Berrios already seemed like the odd man out, so not surprising. At the end of August, Max was really dealing.. a bit of HR issue, but he was a valid game 1-3 starter. And then he just became unreliable.

I guess the 2 players that we have to ask whether they were managed properly down the stretch were Bassitt and Lauer.

Bassitt's case is a little more interesting, I don't know if mysterious is the proper word here. Was the 15 day IL stint really necessary, or a case of getting cute, and now he is not stretched out?

Lauer was trending a bit down in August, but he had some really good starts, a few mixed ones, and overall his late July/ August numbers were still solid. And then we **** with him, by saying your a reliever, now you are a starter pitching on 11 days rest or something. I think Lauer could have been a decent #4 starter against the lefty heavy Yanks, but we really did everything possible to get him out of any rhythm.

[RalphWiggum]

I wouldn't want to have money on our side now that Bichette is out for the series. Hopefully my streak of not knowing **** continues.

[JN]

I would have left Hoffman and his "dead arm" off the team in place of Bassitt. The goal is to win and not about "feelings". I do not care if he was the Closer. He is the last guy I trust to get 3 outs right now in that bullpen.

They had the courage to yank Scherzer, so you'd assume they'd be willing to do the same with Chris - neither have contracts with the team next year anyway so the repercussions from hurt feelings are limited.

I'm assuming Bassitt is actually still hurt.

I was talking about the hurt feelings of Hoffman, and not Scherzer or Bassitt. I would have left Hoffman off the playoff roster.

Hoffman's results were not bad enough in September for them to sit him, He may have not been good on the "eye" or "comfort" test, but the numbers were not terrible. 11 innings, 12 baserunners, 1 HR... a lucky ERA of 0.84.

[JN]

I wouldn't want to have money on our side now that Bichette is out for the series. Hopefully my streak of not knowing **** continues.

Baseball playoffs still have a high level of randomness.

That being said we are clearly not the favourite here (Bo, slumping Vlad, starter depth, closer). if Vlad continues his struggles, getting no contributions from Vlad/Bo is very hard to overcome. But not impossible, because stupid things happen in 5 game series.

In the last 4 games we went back to what got us going to start the winning around the 50 game mark -- mid/upper mid tier hitters like Kirk, Lukes, Clement and Barger started to hit. It really wasn't Bo much at that point either. The bullpen actually pitched quite good the last 3 weeks of the season.

So there are things that could make it happen.

[xAIRNESSx]

Trey Yeezy going in game 2

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[SharoneWright]

I was talking about the hurt feelings of Hoffman, and not Scherzer or Bassitt.

Right. But Scherzer and Bassitt have feelings too and the Jays didn't care. You'd have to assume they'd treat Hoff the same. They obviously think he's in their top 13.

[Mehar]

I was talking about the hurt feelings of Hoffman, and not Scherzer or Bassitt.

Right. But Scherzer and Bassitt have feelings too and the Jays didn't care. You'd have to assume they'd treat Hoff the same. They obviously think he's in their top 13.

Hoffman still has two more seasons left here, while Scherzer and Bassitt will be gone in free agency. Big factor why they can disregard Scherzer and Bassitt who will be elsewhere next year.

[Madvillainy2004]

I need Gausman to have a legacy game his "big game" appearances for us have been mostly disappointing (last sunday included lol).

[Potential]

Can we play like the Brewers today

[xAIRNESSx]

Should be an easy win for the Jays today

[T-d0t]

Is it safe to say this is a must win game?

[tecumseh18]

Is it safe to say this is a must win game?

No, but you can say it's a "statement game".

I'm hoping for 2019 Finals Game 1 vibes. Vladdy can play the Siakam role.

[Chris7711]

Can we play like the Brewers today

Yes, beat them with lots of singles and doubles and hope they commit some errors..great pitching by our starters and hope we get the good pen..of course that occasional long bomb by varsho,kirk,springer and hoping vladdy plus others, here and there

[COY0607]

Is it safe to say this is a must win game?

I think so. After the long break, plus the favorable pitching match up. Next 2 games they’ll have the dominant pitchers

Also lose this and you lose home field advantage

[WuTang_CMB]

Here. We. Go.