'Nobody quit': Guerrero's big day leads Blue Jays to big comeback win

TORONTO -- “The ball is round and it comes in a square box.”

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. smiled through his words, evoking the old Spanish saying about how strange this game can be. That rings true in many ways for Guerrero and the Blue Jays right now, but it felt particularly appropriate after Saturday’s 10-8 win over the Twins at Rogers Centre.

Toronto mounted its biggest comeback of the season, erasing a six-run deficit with contributions up and down the lineup. The rally was built on persistence, one inning at a time, and with different layers -- the type of outing that’s eluded the Blue Jays more often than not this year.

It offered some much-needed support to what this club has preached about its offense through an uneven start to the season.

“That’s who we are,” Guerrero said in Spanish after the game. “Of course, we come out every day to win and to compete, and thankfully we’ve been feeling very comfortable and we’re coming together on the field to win.”

Vlad will always be a central piece of this puzzle.

He showed as much on Saturday, when he stepped up with the bases loaded and scorched his fourth single of the day to score two runs and tie the game at eight in the sixth. That moment was preceded by home runs from Bo Bichette, Danny Jansen and Davis Schneider, who helped chip away at the Twins’ early lead against Kevin Gausman.

Guerrero did more of the same in that crucial sixth inning, locking in on his search for a pitch he could drive -- this time a 94 mph fastball inside. He came alive along with the 35,069 fans in attendance, yelling and pumping his fists as he reached first base.

“When you see your team trailing and trailing and we’re going after that tie, these [emotions] come out,” said Guerrero. “You don’t even think about it. It just happens, especially with the energy from the fans.”

Quietly -- though there’s nothing quiet about his at-bats right now -- Guerrero has posted a .408 average with a .984 OPS over the past 12 games. It’s a much-needed turnaround, considering he was hitting .229 with a .678 OPS at the end of April.

What’s changed?

“Things are just going well for me right now,” said Guerrero. “I’m simply controlling my at-bats and staying calm. … There are six months in a season, and you won’t see anyone struggling for six months straight. You have to accept [where you are], turn the page and get here early the next day to keep working.”

No need to force a round peg through a square hole.

Confidence is a key component to Vladdy at his best. Watch him during this hot streak, and you’ll see how comfortable he is, whether it’s celebrating a stolen base, chatting with opponents at first base or letting out all of the adrenaline after a clutch hit.

His opponents see it, too.

“I think he's just feeling like himself again,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of Guerrero. “I know I've seen this version of Vladdy several times over the years. I think he looks very comfortable. I think he's hitting fastballs and offspeed pitches.”

He’s leading the way.

The early homers and Vlad’s crucial hit set the table for another two-run frame in the seventh, as Toronto sent eight batters to the plate and the string of good at-bats continued with three singles, two walks and a sac fly. The bullpen, which has run into its own set of challenges of late, held on the rest of the way.

Strangely, unevenly, it all clicked.

“Our at-bats have been going in the right direction for about a week,” said manager John Schneider. “Just really timely hitting from a lot of different people. … These guys are better than what they've shown, you know, up to this point. The confidence hasn’t wavered, and hopefully this type of win gets you rolling a little bit.”

This was as much a sigh of relief for the offense as it was for Gausman, who once again ran into trouble against the Twins, lasting just three innings and allowing seven runs (six earned). There was vindication in the late breakout, too, as the right-hander has pitched with little run support for most of his time with the Blue Jays.

“That was incredible to watch,” Gausman said. “The team -- bullpen and offense -- just picked me up completely. … Nobody quit, nobody gave in.”