Toronto Blue Jays eliminate NY Yankees, reach first ALCS since 2016

The GIST: Pop those bottles and queue up Frank Sinatra — the Toronto Blue Jays are heading to the American League Championship Series (ALCS) for the first time since 2016 after eliminating the NY Yankees on Wednesday.

• With their ALCS opponent still TBD, let’s recap the Jays’ team effort that has them just four wins away from a World Series appearance.

🐦 Lights-out pitching, clutch hitting when it mattered most: As manager John Schneider so eloquently put it, “It takes everybody,” and that’s exactly how Toronto won their Divisional Series vs. the Yanks. From Wednesday’s 5–2 bullpen Game 4 dub — featuring eight different pitchers — to utility player Ernie Clement’s breakout performance, the entire roster played a part.

• And we have to mention the Canadian kid, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. After inking a 14-year contract extension to stay in the Six this offseason, Vladdy posted an incredible .529 series batting average, powering his squad to the first ALCS of his career. You can’t help but smile.

⏩ Toronto will face either the Detroit Tigers or Seattle Mariners in the ALCS: The Tigers vs. Mariners series comes down to a decisive 8:08 p.m. ET Game 5 tonight, pushing those teams to the limit while the Jays enjoy some extra rest.

• The Blue Birds hold the regular-season edge against both squads — they went 4-2 vs. Seattle and 4-3 vs. Detroit — and will certainly be flying high from the Rogers Centre energy when the ALCS begins at home on Sunday. Can’t come soon enough.