Blue Jays Advance to ALCS, Defeat Yankees

BRONX: The Toronto Blue Jays clinched their first American League Championship Series (ALCS) appearance since 2016, prevailing over the New York Yankees 5-2 at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, with Jeff Hoffman securing a critical four-out save.

In a strategic bullpen game, Toronto utilized eight pitchers to suppress the Yankees’ offensive efforts. Hoffman exhibited composure in closing, guaranteeing Toronto’s progression to the subsequent series.

George Springer delivered the decisive blow with a sacrifice fly in the fifth, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. initiated the scoring with a single against Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler.

Nathan Lukes also made a noteworthy contribution with an RBI, aiding the Blue Jays in seizing early command of the game.

Toronto is set to host Game 1 of the ALCS on Sunday, facing either the Seattle Mariners or the Detroit Tigers.

Concurrently, in the other AL Division Series, the Tigers leveled their series against the Mariners, propelled by home runs courtesy of Riley Greene, Javier Báez, and Gleyber Torres. Seattle’s pitcher Bryce Miller conceded two runs from four hits across 4 1/3 innings.

In the National League Division Series, the Chicago Cubs averted elimination, securing a 4-3 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Pete Crow-Armstrong’s two-run single punctuated a four-run opening inning for Chicago. Jake Bauers spearheaded Milwaukee’s response, contributing an RBI single in the fourth and a solo home run in the seventh.

Separately, Kyle Schwarber’s pair of home runs fueled the Philadelphia Phillies to an 8-2 triumph against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of their NL Division Series.