Alejandro Kirk's first career stolen base caps wild comeback win for Blue Jays

New York Times

a day ago

TORONTO — The Rogers Centre crowd erupted as Alejandro Kirk rolled into second base, unleashing collective jubilation. The Toronto Blue Jays backstop hammered a seventh-inning homer against the Texas Rangers. He gave Toronto the lead with a late bases-loaded single, leading to a 6-5 win. Yet the cheers for those pivotal plays were dwarfed in comparison. As the stadium video board honoured Kirk's first career stolen base, the home fans reached new decibels.
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'I didn't even know what was happening, when the crowd was so loud,' Kirk said through team interpreter Hector Lebron. 'Then I turned around and looked at the board and was like 'Oh my God.''
It was the recognition of unlikely history — the first swiped bag in a six-year, 532-game career for a catcher with one of the lowest average sprint speeds in baseball. But, even more, it was the cathartic release of anxious tension. The celebration of yet another comeback win.
The FIRST Major League stolen base for Alejandro Kirk!
You simply CANNOT defend speed. pic.twitter.com/bXPVg47tvn
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) August 16, 2025
A sort of tight energy filled Rogers Centre the last few days as the Jays battled tense games against top teams and their respective aces. On Thursday, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. broke the anxiety with a game-winning homer to topple the Cubs. On Friday, Kirk snapped it with his game-winning knock and dash to second base, pushing Toronto to 72-51. In the Jays' latest tense game, Kirk's clutch hit sealed another comeback. But his stolen base stole the show.
'He's catching Rickey (Henderson),' Chris Bassitt said. 'Slowly.'
As Rangers starter Jacob deGrom plowed through innings, Friday's tension built. It was the same growing stress of Thursday's game against Chicago's Matthew Boyd. Zeros stacked upon zeros as the Blue Jays fell behind in both contests. But, like Thursday, the Jays kept things close. They trailed 3-0 early and 5-2 after Marcus Semien's late homer, but things never drifted out of reach. The Jays kept the door open for late magic, and Kirk delivered.
The catcher slashed at the first pitch he saw in the eighth, falling to his knee as he whiffed on the fastball down the middle. As the three Blue Jays filling the bases scurried back to their bags, Kirk collected himself. The swing was too big, Kirk said, and he refocused on simple contact. Three pitches later, he sent a curveball screaming back up the middle, pushing two runs across to hand Toronto an eighth-inning lead.
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'I hate to say I expect it from him,' Bassitt said. 'But there's not many guys on our team that (I) would rather have up than him.'
The Jays have earned many identities this season. They're the team of ever-changing heroes. They're the unexpected American League leaders. They're the squad focused on small advantages and forgotten fundamentals. Across 123 games, no habit has been more consistent than the comebacks. Friday's victory was Toronto's 39th comeback win of the season, most in baseball.
The Jays' first win of the year was a come-from-behind victory over the Baltimore Orioles. They clawed back down six runs against the Boston Red Sox in April. All the wins are, ultimately, equal. But there's a difference between erasing early-season deficits and doing so against potential playoff teams in August games filled with the tension of October.
'The more you do it,' John Schneider said of the comebacks, 'the more comfortable you are when you're in that situation. It's not luck. It's hard to do. But I think that, like anything, the more you do it, the better you get at it.'
Guerrero has his big moments. Bo Bichette is one of baseball's best hitters with runners in scoring position. But Kirk, Schneider said, is built for the big moments. He can hit any pitch, Bassitt said, and remains mild-mannered through the most stressful spots. So, perhaps, his winning single could've been expected.
The stolen base, though, was entirely unforeseen. With Kirk standing at first base, basking in the moment of a clutch single, first base coach Mark Budzinski told him the plan — he was stealing.
'I just kind of turned around and looked at him,' Kirk said. 'Like, 'Are you serious? All right.''
As Phil Maton pushed home, Kirk darted off the base. By the time the pitch reached the catcher's glove, it was too late. Kirk glided into second with ease, the usual stoic look plastered on his face. The tension of a tight game faded away, leaving room for pure celebration. The crowd exploded and the dugout cheered.
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After Jeff Hoffman punched through a clean ninth inning, the crowd hailed Kirk once more. As players flocked off the field, Kirk stood outside the Blue Jays' dugout, holding second base, ripped out of the infield dirt.
'They're authenticating it,' Schneider said, 'and it should go down in major-league history.'
Toronto's comebacks are so frequent they're hard to remember. As the season draws closer to October, they become increasingly important. This one, though, will be remembered — because of the 90-foot dash that followed.
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