TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays are on one of those runs that everyone tries to explain and nobody really can. They’re playing like a team with nothing to lose, unburdened by the expectations of last year’s World Series run. Games fall their way, even when they shouldn’t.

“You can’t force a team to be like a team last year,” manager John Schneider said. “I think with some new guys, with some things to prove, has kind of rubbed off on everyone else that has been here. This is the kind of brand of baseball we’ve been searching for.”

The Jays didn’t have George Springer, Ernie Clement or Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the starting lineup Saturday. They faced Cam Schlittler, arguably the best starter in the American League, and turned to a tired bullpen to cover all nine innings. It was about as lopsided as a matchup can get on paper. None of it mattered.

With a 4-1 win, sparked by two run-scoring hits from rookie Charles McAdoo, the Jays have won 12 of their last 17 games. They’ve clawed through the messy American League standings and, at the conclusion of Saturday’s game, were in postseason position for the first time since June 24.

“They battled,” Schneider said. “They battled their asses off. That’s exactly what we’re asking them to do.”

Nobody knows how the next 37 games play out. In some ways, Toronto’s pitching-heavy, nail-biting hot streak seems quite unsustainable. The offence is scrappier, with more speed and contact, but the Jays aren’t really scoring more runs than before. Asking a pitching staff to maintain a 2.88 ERA, as the Jays have in August, is unrealistic.

But we’re also getting to the time of year when sustainability stops mattering, and wins and losses tell the entire story. At the very least, this run has turned a disappointing sequel into a riveting product in just a few days. Toronto’s next month of games will surely have meaning, and that didn’t seem likely in June or July.

The Jays pushed buttons all season to spark a stagnant squad. They made early moves for Patrick Corbin and Lenyn Sosa, changed the closer role and pushed up prospects from Triple A. For months, nothing really changed.

Suddenly, those button-pushes started working. Brett Bateman and McAdoo are here, two speedy rookies with energy earning a chance at regular playing time. They both delivered two hits Saturday, with McAdoo doubling off the top of the wall to break a 1-1 tie. Ricky Tiedemann was promoted years after his prospect star burned bright and got five outs in Toronto’s patchwork bullpen game. Simeon Woods Richardson entered Saturday with a 5.95 expected ERA and delivered 2 1/3 scoreless innings against the Yankees.

They’re moves a team that traded away key players and lost others to injury is forced to make. They don’t usually work this well.

“We’re kind of embracing what we’re good at right now,” Schneider said. “Sometimes it doesn’t look the sexiest, but we’re OK with that.”

Almost every year there’s a team that goes on one of these late-season runs. Last year it was the Cleveland Guardians, who made up 10 1/2 games in September to snatch the AL Central. In 2024 it was the Detroit Tigers, who sold at the deadline and still made the playoffs.

The Jays, entering the deadline six games under .500, put themselves in an unfortunate position where improbable wins were mandatory. They couldn’t just play OK in August and September — they needed an unforeseen hot streak. Weeks remain, and the Jays’ final stretch can take many directions. But, at least for a few weeks, they’ve captured that inexplicability they required.

“The ultimate goal is to be there at the end, 37 games from now,” Schneider said. “But I like the way we’re playing right now, and I like the way that we clawed our way back into it.”

Yesavage plans on pitching again in 2026

Hours before Saturday’s contest, starting pitcher Trey Yesavage walked back into the Jays clubhouse after undergoing meniscus repair surgery Monday. The 23-year-old is considered week-to-week but hasn’t given up on returning in 2026.

“I’m planning on pitching again wherever the team needs me,” Yesavage said. “Hopefully we’re in a playoff push.”

Yesavage said the minimally invasive meniscus procedure was quick. He’s already able to walk. He’s already throwing from a knee or resting his leg on a chair to keep his arm moving for when he’s able to start throwing while standing again. The rehab length for a meniscus surgery, Yesavage said, can vary from person to person, so there isn’t an exact timeline for the starter.

If the Jays drifted out of contention, there wouldn’t be much of a point in rushing the rookie back. They could let Yesavage, after a lengthy 2025 season, rest up and get ready for 2027. But the fact Toronto has vaulted itself back into postseason contention, Yesavage said, motivates him to get back as soon as possible.

“It keeps me hungry knowing that we have an opportunity in October to play playoff baseball,” Yesavage said. “Just keeps me going.”

Jays without Guerrero Jr. for at least a week

After Vladimir Guerrero Jr. took a knee to the head in Friday’s game, the first baseman was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list ahead of Saturday’s game. It’s his first trip to the IL in eight big-league seasons.

Tests on Guerrero on Friday night and Saturday morning, Schneider said, “checked enough boxes for an IL stint.” He had a headache during Friday’s game and “felt a little bit worse” Saturday morning, the manager said.

“League-mandated concussion protocol,” Schneider said. “He didn’t push back.”

Among players on Toronto’s current roster, Kazuma Okamoto and McAdoo have significant experience at first base to fill in for Guerrero. Through one game without the franchise first baseman, McAdoo certainly met the task.

“I have a job to do, and I’m going to help the team win as best I can,” McAdoo said.