4 pivotal moments that kept the Blue Jays in contention in the first half

Baseball's regular season is like a book with 162 different chapters. Each chapter contains its own narrative and some chapters are more pivotal than others. The Toronto Blue Jays have authored quite the storybook season so far, and it feels like there are going to be even more gripping moments to come.

4 pivotal moments that kept the Blue Jays in contention in the first half

The Blue Jays have amassed a 21-11 record since May 26, which feels like a line of demarcation for when this team took off. As the calendar flips to the second half of the regular season, let's take a look at some of the pivotal moments of the 2025 season thus far.

4. Bo Bichette bails out everyone with a late home run

The Blue Jays were in the midst of another difficult road trip, melting in the Florida heat and struggling to generate offense deep in the heart of Texas. Sitting at 27-28, the Blue Jays were playing a brand of baseball that was not exactly inspiring. Still, a win in the series finale against the struggling Texas Rangers would make the plane ride back to Toronto a lot happier.

With the score deadlocked at 0-0 in the top of the ninth, Bo Bichette whacked a two-run home run off Jacob Webb, his fifth long ball of the season. It gave the Jays all the offense they would need as closer Jeff Hoffman shut the door in the bottom half. In that moment Bichette exceeded his power output from a dismal 2024 season.

This moment shows the importance of a productive Bichette in the lineup. He is an elder statesman in the Blue Jays clubhouse and this game probably increased his earning power by a few bucks. Bichette's defense may leave something be desired, but the offense has been solid.

3. The offense rallies in the Midwest

The vibes were high after a back-to-back series victories against teams above .500. Maybe a series in St. Louis would serve to arrest that momentum. Not so fast as the Blue Jays scored single runs in each of the last three innings to rally against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

Alejandro Kirk got things started with a solo home run (his fourth). An inning later, Jonathan Clase smacked a game-tying home run. In the extra frames, Kirk once again came up clutch, lining a double to score the automatic runner from second.

The Blue Jays front office isn't getting enough credit for the Alejandro Kirk extension before the season. Kirk is enjoying a breakout season and handling the increased workload behind the plate. With only seven home runs, Kirk is still worth 3.0 fWAR because he is hitting the ball hard and making good decisions at the plate. His defensive fWAR is behind only Patrick Bailey in MLB.

2. The west coast trip that introduced Addison Barger to the world

In early May, the Blue Jays were searching for consistency. The road trip seemed to be getting off on the wrong foot when the team placed both Anthony Santander and Andres Gimenez on the IL. But Santander and Gimenez weren't really contributing enough offensively and the club needed contributions from elsewhere in the lineup.

Addison Barger is a player who always had potential and needed more playing time. Barger initially struggled but officially emerged as a legitimate player when he went 8-for-18 with three doubles, six RBI and a home run against the Angels and Mariners.

Barger has since provided a 118 OPS+ this season and playing solid defense in right field and third base. Shout out to Ernie Clement for also raking in that series. Clement went 5-for-11 in the Seattle series and showcased his typically entertaining brand of baseball. Overall, the Blue Jays are a complete lineup when every spot is contributing their fair share.

1. Kevin Gausman gets back on track with an eight inning shutout performance

The Blue Jays rotation has experienced its share of volatility this season. They haven't had a reliable a fifth starter and Max Scherzer is a question mark from a health perspective. It puts the onus on veterans like Jose Berrios and Kevin Gausman to hold up their end of the bargain. Gausman has contributed a handful of positive outings this season but maybe none more important than the outing in Cleveland on June 26.

The Blue Jays were coming off a tough extra inning loss to the Guardians in which they burned their top relievers as they sought a victory. With a chance to win the series, the team needed a dominant outing from their starting pitcher to get the train back on the tracks.

Enter Gausman, who shut down the Cleveland lineup on a sweltering day and gave the Jays eight innings of zero runs. He permitted two hits (including a first inning double) and was the beneficiary of some outstanding defense from Myles Straw.

Gausman is a huge component to this rotation and his experience will continue to help this club down the stretch. With a 4.21 ERA, Gausman can still post solid production even if he won't replicate his magnificent 2023 season.