Batting depth lifts Jays to 6-3 win over Giants
That happened Saturday afternoon when Toronto's 7-8-9 hitters accounted for all six runs and went a collective 5-for-10 in the team's 6-3 victory over the San Francisco Giants at Rogers Centre.
Second baseman Ernie Clement finished with an RBI. Third baseman Will Wagner hit a two-run double. And catcher Tyler Heineman had one of the best games of his career, hitting a two-run homer in the sixth inning to finish 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider credits his club's hitting coaches for this lower-lineup success.
'It starts with Pop, and Lou and Hunter,' said Schneider of Toronto's hitting staff.
'And really diving into what these guys are good at and how they are going to get pitched and having a plan. And then it's the guys buying into that plan and sticking with it. It's not easy to do when you don't play every day and you're hitting 7-8-9.
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'The tendency is to chase results and the guys aren't doing that.'
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The Blue Jays got contributions from more than their batting depth Saturday.
Starter Eric Lauer picked up his fifth win of the season while allowing two runs and no walks in six innings of work. Lauer also struck out seven batters.
Signed to a minor-league deal Dec. 13, 2024, after he was cut by the KBO's Kia Tigers, Lauer has been a strong addition to the Blue Jays' rotation in 2025.
The left-hander has a 2.80 earned-run average and a 1.04 walks plus hits per inning pitched in eight starts for the Blue Jays this season.
'One, probably,' said Clement of where Lauer would rank among Toronto's unsung heroes.
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'What he's been able to do and come in and just give us a chance to win every game. It's invaluable. So, tip of the cap to him. He's probably been our unsung MVP so far.'
Schneider says Lauer's demeanour hasn't changed as his quality starts increased.
'That's one of the things I love about him,' Scheider said of Lauer post-game.
'He's kind of a flat-liner…Not getting too high or too low, and kind of doing what everyone's doing, where you go out and do what we ask of you and you move on to the next time you go out there.'
Accustomed to a long relief role as well as a starter this season, Lauer believes the latter is where has earned the right to be.
'I'm just trying to make sure that I stick in the rotation, honestly' Lauer said. 'That's what I want to do, and that's where I think I can help the team best.'
With Bowden Francis still on the injured list with a shoulder impingement, the Blue Jays need Lauer in the rotation moving forward.
Toronto will attempt to sweep the three-game homestand against the Giants on Sunday before hosting the New York Yankees in a three-game set starting Monday.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 19, 2025.
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Get the latest from Rob Longley straight to your inbox Anthony Santander of the Toronto Blue Jays. Getty Images It's difficult to be both the forgotten man and the $92.5-million man brought in to provide explosive offence. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. 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Create Account But that's where the Blue Jays find themselves with Anthony Santander, the slugger they signed to a free agent contract in January, and now a veteran whose season is teetering on being a lost one. Jays manager John Schneider provided an update on the injured designated hitter/outfielder on Monday prior to the opening game of a three-game series against the New York Yankees. And as you might expect given Santander's long and frustrating absence from the team, it wasn't pretty. 'He's still a couple of weeks away from hitting and we'll kind of evaluate him week to week to see when that does start,' Schneider said of Santander, who has rejoined the team in Toronto for more medical attention during this home stand, which began with a three-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants over the weekend. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Schneider didn't need to say much more than that, truthfully. If the personable Santander is still a couple of weeks away from hitting, then he's a couple of weeks away from being ready to play and then another week, potentially, of rehab games before he could even be considered ready to play in a big-league game. In other words, the math doesn't look good. And then there's the issue of how you deal with Santander when (if?) he is ready? Prior to Monday's game, the 30-year-old had been on the injured list for 43 games with what the team lists as shoulder inflammation. During his absence, of course, the Jays have been on fire, running off a 30-13 record and storming into first place in the American League East. So where exactly would he fit in the lineup given that prior to the injury, Santander was struggling at the plate, initially excused by the fact he has been a notoriously slow starter in his career. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'He's disappointed,' Schneider said. 'It's bad timing, first year here and all that kind of stuff. He's frustrated, but happy with the way we are playing and (we're) happy to have him back around.' For the longest time, the Jays were vexed with what was happening with Santander, a situation that continues on some level. Schneider said on Monday that he believes the guy who banged out 42 home runs for the Baltimore Orioles last season may have been compromised by trying to play through an injury originally sustained when he crashed hard into an outfield wall in Anaheim. 'I think it was the initial injury in Anaheim and playing through it and not getting the results he wanted,' the manager said. 'Doing a lot physically probably made it worse.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Even though the short-term prognosis is still gloomy, Schneider said the Jays are still hopeful they'll get Santander sorted and back in the lineup at some point. 'We want to have the option of having him, obviously,' Schneider said. 'It's kind of worked out to be not as quick as we or he would have hoped. A player like him and what he can add, you don't want to slow-play it. 'I definitely hope (the season being over) is not the outcome. I think you have to plan as we've been planning. You want him to get back and you want him to be in the lineup whenever that is. Definitely have not pulled him out yet for the season.' And left unsaid: Definitely understanding that the team isn't close to being free of employing contingencies for his absence, one in which the team has seen so many others seize the opportunity and help make the Jays a first-place team. 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