Deep Left Field

Guest: Blue Jays Offensive Player George Springer   SEATTLE - The Blue Jays pulled themselves back from the brink and Deep Left Field is here at T-Mobile Park in Seattle to tell you all about it.   After looking sluggish, to put it mildly, in the first two games of this American League Championship Series, the Jays flew north and west and found their offence somewhere along the way. They managed just one hit from the third inning on over Games 1 and 2 and had 17 after the second inning in Game 3.   George Springer had three of those - including a fourth-inning solo home run that moved him into a tie for fourth place overall on the all-time post-season home run list - and he joins us to talk about other things, such as Shane Bieber's performance, and the moment the right-hander sent chills through the dugout, the Jays' return to form and their five gold glove finalists that were announced Wednesday.   Also, as always throughout the playoffs, we open up the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca. This time, it's a much happier mailbag than it was after Game 2.

Guests: Blue Jays third baseman Addison Barger, left fielder Davis Schneider, associate manager DeMarlo Hale       Deep Left Field is on the road in Seattle with your Toronto Blue Jays as they try to get back in their best-of-seven American League Championship Series with the Seattle Mariners, having lost the first two games.   We assess the mood around the clubhouse with Addison Barger and Davis Schneider, the latter of whom may have thrown a little shade on Jose Bautista's famous Bat Flip home run as we spoke on the 10th anniversary of the big swing.   DeMarlo Hale was the Jays' bench coach when Bautista hit the homer that shook the baseball world but, more importantly, he was on the staff when that Jays team overcame a two-games-to-none playoff deficit, having lost both games at home. We talk to him about that accomplishment, now that the Jays are trying to do it again.   And, as always, we take your comments and questions in the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca.

Guest: Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lukes       All appears to be pretty bleak in Blue Jays land as they head north and west to Seattle trailing the best-of-seven American League Championship Series two games to none.   The complete offensive collapse against the Mariners was wholly unexpected, especially given that the Jays had scored 34 runs over their four-game ALDS win against the New York Yankees and Seattle seemed ripe for the picking, coming off an exhausting and emotional 15-inning winner-take-all Game 5 in their ALDS against the Detroit Tigers. That game finished less than 72 hours before the M's put the finishing touches on their 10-3 Thanksgiving blowout of the Blue Jays.   But as bleak as it is, the Jays seem to have overcome the odds time and time again this year and Deep Left Field will continue to be with them every step of the way.   In today's playoff bonus episode, we speak to Nathan Lukes, who had 50% of the Jays' hits in Monday's loss, including RBI singles in both the first and second innings. The Jays only had one hit after the second inning - a Lukes single, his third hit of the game.   Lukes was playing with a badly bruised right knee after fouling a ball off himself in Game 1.   And, of course, we open the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca to hear your thoughts on the loss, some clinging to optimism, some resigned to defeat, some utterly off the wall.

Guest: Blue Jays reliever Mason Fluharty The first ALCS to open up in Toronto since 1992 began the same way the last one did - with a Blue Jays loss. The Jays got a leadoff home run from George Springer and then just one more hit the rest of the night and fell to the travel- and extra-inning-weary Seattle Mariners 3-1. Mason Fluharty got two huge outs in the top of the eighth, striking out Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez to escape Seranthony Dominguez' jam and give the bats a chance to come back. They didn't. The rookie lefty joins us from a very quiet Jays' clubhouse to talk about his playoff experience so far. And, of course, we dip into the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca to hear what you have to say!

Guests: Chris Bassitt and Davis Schneider   The American League Championship Series begins tonight and for the first time since 1993, it's opening up in Toronto.   The Blue Jays are getting set to take on their expansion cousins, the Seattle Mariners, with the well-rested Kevin Gausman facing off against Bryce Miller, who will be pitching on three days' rest.   We're joined by Chris Bassitt, who talks about the sacrifices he made during the season that wound up costing him in September and October, but how missing playoff series doesn't matter to him as long as the Jays keep winning. Davis Schneider stops by as well, to tell us about getting a hit in his first playoff at-bat ever, at Rogers Centre in Game 2 of the ALDS, and in his first playoff at-bat at Yankee Stadium two days later.   Plus, as always, we open up the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca - keep those cards and letters coming!

Guests: Toronto Star baseball columnist Gregor Chisholm, Kim's Convenience/The Mandalorian's Paul Sun-Hyung Lee      It took a while, but the Toronto Blue Jays have an opponent in the American League Championship Series that begins Sunday night at Rogers Centre.   The Seattle Mariners beat the Detroit Tigers 3-2 in the decisive Game 5 of their American League Division Series, but it took them an all-time record (for a winner-take-all game) 15 innings to do it, which is certainly good news for the Jays, who were home and likely in bed watching things finish up just after 1:00 a.m. Eastern time.   We discuss the Jays-Mariners ALCS match-up with Gregor Chisholm and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, looking at how the short rest – and using three starting pitchers Friday night – might affect the M's as they try to get to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. For the Jays, it would be their first trip to the Fall Classic since 1993.   Will Cal Raleigh be Seattle's version of Aaron Judge? Will the Mariners have anything left after an exhausting, emotional series with the Detroit Tigers, especially after having to win 17 of 18 down the stretch just to win their division? What did the Jays prove to the baseball world with their win over the New York Yankees in their ALDS?   These questions and more will be answered, or at least will attempt to be answered, on this playoff bonus episode of Deep Left Field!   You can be part of the next episode by sending your questions and comments to the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca.

The Blue Jays are going to the American League Championship Series!   The Jays shrugged off their ugly loss to the New York Yankees in Tuesday's Game 3 and did all the things that got them to this point on Wednesday - great defence, timely hitting, making their opponents pay for mistakes - and combined that with an outstanding performance from eight relievers to knock the Yankees out of the post-season, guaranteeing that they won't defend their American League pennant.   Of the four teams that went into their games Wednesday with a chance to advance to the next round, the Jays are the only one that managed to do it.   They're in the League Championship Series - one of the last four teams standing - for the first time since 2016 and only the third time since 1993. They'll face either the Detroit Tigers in the first-ever 401 series or the Seattle Mariners in the first-ever ALCS battle between 1977 expansion cousins.   On this latest playoff bonus episode of Deep Left Field, we go over the Game 4 win, what went right and what could have gone wrong, and we open up the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca  for your comments and questions!   Audio sources: Fox and Sportsnet

The Blue Jays quite literally kicked away their chance to sweep the Yankees in the American League division series, uncharacteristic errors and shoddy fielding giving New York the opportunity to overcome a five-run deficit and roar back to win the game and keep their playoff hopes alive for at least one more day.   We'll go through the gory details for you on this special playoff bonus episode of Deep Left Field: -Did Shane Bieber get taken out of the game too soon? -What happened on that pop-up that Addison Barger missed to open the floodgates? -Should Anthony Santander be in the lineup and, if so, should he be playing the outfield?   As well, and as always during the post-season, we open the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca to go through your questions and comments, including whether it would be wise for the Jays to use Kevin Gausman in Game 4, how they'll work a bullpen game, when will Bo Bichette come back and what's up with Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer?

Guests: Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman, infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa Two games into their post-season, the Blue Jays are doing things that have never been done before – not just by them, but by anyone. No team had ever scored 23 runs in the first two games of a post-season until the Jays did it in taking a two games to none stranglehold on their best-of-five American League Division Series with the New York Yankees. No pitcher had ever struck out 11 batters while allowing no hits over the first five innings of a playoff game until Trey Yesavage did it on Sunday – less than three weeks after making his major-league debut! We hear from Yesavage and Jays manager John Schneider from the post-game podium, then talk to Kevin Gausman and Isiah Kiner-Falefa about what they saw from the 22-year-old on Sunday. And we open up the deepleftfield@thestar.ca mailbag, as well!

On this playoff bonus episode of Deep Left Field, we go over the Blue Jays' blowout of the New York Yankees in Game 1 of their ALDS on Saturday, the Jays' first post-season win in nine years and one that snapped a seven-game playoff losing streak. Many demons were slayed, especially by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who doubled his career playoff hit total and tripled his career playoff RBI total in a game that also included his first-ever post-season home run. Also, we open up the mailbag to talk playoff roster, pitching rotation, the crowd, the vibes, the white-panel hats and more!

Guest: RUSH frontman and Blue Jays fanatic Geddy Lee The Blue Jays are on the eve of their American League division series against the New York Yankees, which begins Saturday afternoon. We talk to the Jays' most famous fan, the lead singer, bassist and keyboardist from the legendary Canadian rock band Rush, who also happens to be a massive baseball geek. Geddy Lee shares his thoughts on the Blue Jays' worst-to-first season, how much fun he's had watching the team and how large a part of their success all the unsung heroes have been. We also look at the ALDS match-up with the Yankees and open up the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guests: 2025 Blue Jays MVP, Rookie of the Year and Unsung Hero We don't want to spoil the surprise for you, so as the Jays' American League division series draws ever closer, check out this episode of Deep Left Field to find out who the players, coaches and other uniformed personnel voted as their end-of-season award winners. We're joined by the MVP, who got 45 of 53 votes cast, Rookie of the Year, who got 48, and Unsung Hero, who ran away with an award for which 14 different players received votes, truly symbolizing this year's Blue Jays, for which there seemed to be a different hero every night. As we continue with our far-more-frequent-than-usual episodes through the post-season, remember that the Deep Left Field mailbag is always open. If you want to get your comment or question onto the show, send an email to deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guests: Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement, pitchers Jeff Hoffman and Eric Lauer As the Blue Jays prepare to play in the American League Division Series for the first time since 2016, we take you back onto the field in the wake of their division-clinching win Sunday. Ernie Clement is the poster boy for the Jays' cast of unsung heroes and versatile contributors, and he joins us to talk about his multiple roles over the course of the season and how his flexibility was once again put on display by playing three different positions in Sunday's season finale. Eric Lauer may have saved the season by stabilizing the pitching staff when he was called up at the end of April, and he had the ball in his glove when the season ended, stepping on first to retire Tampa Bay's Jonathan Aranda for the final out. He talks about bouncing back from a 2024 in which he got released by two major-league organizations and wound up pitching in South Korea, and what he's doing with the ball from the 27th out. Closer Jeff Hoffman was on the National League East champion Philadelphia Phillies last season, who also got a first-round bye, and we talk to him about what the Jays will do with five days off and how the break could affect them in the next round. All that, plus we open up the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca for your questions and comments!

Guests: Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, Toronto Star baseball columnist Gregor Chisholm The Blue Jays are American League East champions. They clinched the division with a 13-4 mauling of the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre Sunday, giving them the AL East crown for the first time in ten years. It was the first time they'd clinched at home since 1993. We talk to injured shortstop Bo Bichette about his season, the comeback from last year's last-place finish and what his status is as the Jays enter a five-day break before taking on either the Boston Red Sox or New York Yankees in the American League Division Series. Gregor Chisholm stops by as well, to discuss Game 162 and how it felt like a microcosm of the season as a whole, as well as the odd path the Jays took to the division title, having to win their final four games of the season following an ugly run of six losses in seven games

Guest: Blue Jays pitcher Tommy Nance With 161 games done and the American League East still in question, we present a bonus episode of Deep Left Field. The final game of the regular season goes Sunday, and a Blue Jays home win over the Tampa Bay Rays gives them their first division title since 2015. So does a Yankees home loss against Baltimore. We talk to Tommy Nance, whose scoreless eighth inning in Saturday's Jays win whittled his ERA down to a sparkling 1.99, about how we got here, how the team is feeling going into the biggest game of the year (so far) and what he thinks of the decision to start Kevin Gausman in the season finale. As well, the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca will be open and we'll take your comments and answer your Blue Jays questions!

Guest: Blue Jays Associate Manager DeMarlo Hale The Blue Jays are going into the season's final weekend having clinched a playoff spot but not knowing whether they'll be the first, second or fourth seed in the American League. The only thing that's assured is that they will open the playoffs at home, whether that's in the wild card round or with a first-round bye. We talk to Jays' associate manager DeMarlo Hale about a wild week in which the Jays won just twice in eight tries and were almost swept by both Kansas City and Boston. Hale, who was John Gibbons' bench coach with the Jays in their 2015 and '16 playoff runs, and also coached in post-seasons under Terry Francona and Buck Showalter, weighs in on the playoffs to come, on the Jays sputtering to the finish line and on all the recent controversies with umpires and replay reviews. Also, we open the mailbag and take about a dozen of your questions, most of which have to do with the playoff roster and starting rotation. And thoughts on DFAing Alek Manoah.

Guests: Children Ruin Everything star Aaron Abrams, Clare Blackwood of The Beaverton and Second City After finishing in last place just a year ago, the Blue Jays clinched a post-season berth with their 8-5 win over the Kansas City Royals Sunday, becoming the first American League team to do so. In honour of the return of playoff baseball to Toronto for the first time (actual Toronto, as in a home game) since 2022, we have gathered a panel of some of the city's best, brightest and professionally funniest Blue Jays fans to talk about the clinch, the awful week leading up to it, the replay debacles in Tampa and KC and so much more. Aaron Abrams, the star of Children Ruin Everything on CTV and Netflix, joins the roundtable discussion along with distinguished Second City alumna Clare Blackwood of The Beaverton podcast. You're gonna love it!

Guest: Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman Kevin Gausman has taken a huge leap forward over his past four starts, dominating the playoff-bound Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees and Houston Astros before turning in a solid September 17 performance in a 2-1 Blue Jays loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. The right-hander has a sparkling 0.90 ERA over those four starts - and just 2.30 over his past 15 outings - and he's put himself in position to be the Jays' first starter out of the gate in the post-season. The 34-year-old joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about his turnaround, being at his best when it matters the most, and this magical Blue Jays' season as they head into the playoffs. We also deal with the news of the week, including Trey Yesavage's magical major-league debut, Bo Bichette being out for at least the rest of September, Baltimore analyst Brian Roberts' ignorant comments about Canadian baseball fans, the release of one-time top prospect Orelvis Martinez and the replay controversy in Tampa. Plus, we open up the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guests: Blue Jays infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa, catcher Tyler Heineman     The Blue Jays had a rare losing week, but still carried a three-game lead in the American League East into Thursday's rubber match against the AL West-leading Houston Astros. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Tyler Heineman both played huge roles in the Jays securing the first game of the series, and they both join us this week in Deep Left Field. Kiner-Falefa, signed to a two-year deal before last season, traded to Pittsburgh at the 2024 trade deadline and re-acquired on waivers just before the September 1 playoff eligibility deadline, talks about how he fell in love with Toronto years ago and how happy he is to be rejoining the team for the stretch drive. With Bo Bichette sidelined with a knee injury, IKF is going to play a greater role than anticipated and he discusses that, as well as how much he loves hitting in Toronto. Heineman couldn't have picked a better time to have a career year. As Alejandro Kirk's back-up, he is currently posting career highs in batting average, slugging percentage, home runs and even stolen bases. He's also throwing out base stealers at a higher rate than he ever has before. Tuesday night he picked up the first walk-off of his career. All that plus a look back at The Week That Was and your emails on Episode 278 of Deep Left Field!

Guests: Blue Jays home run leader George Springer, New York Mets bench coach John Gibbons and starting pitcher Jonah Tong September is upon us and the tension of the pennant race has ratcheted up. George Springer knows all about it, having played on three straight division winners with the Houston Astros and he is off to a tremendous September start, with three home runs and a 2.031 OPS to begin the month. Having moved into second place in the American League in OPS, behind only the Yankees' Aaron Judge, Springer joins us to talk about his incredible resurgence this season and what the Jays need to do down the stretch to take the division crown. John Gibbons was the Jays' manager the last time the team won the AL East, in 2015, and the current bench coach of the New York Mets, who hold the final wild card spot in the National League. We chat with Gibby about his memories of the Jays' great run when he was at the helm, as well as some of the challenges facing the current team. As always, Gibby is the best. Finally, Jonah Tong makes his first appearance in Deep Left Field. The 22-year-old Markham, Ontario native began his career with a win in his major league debut on August 29. The former Toronto Met who was the 75th-best prospect in the game going into this season according to Baseball Prospectus, made a meteoric rise through the New York Mets' system this year, posting a 1.43 ERA in 22 starts at Double-A and Triple-A combined with 179 strikeouts in just 113 2/3 innings. Listen here now or at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts Thursday afternoon. If you would like to support the journalism of the Toronto Star, you can at thestar.com/subscribingmatters.

Guests: Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer, left fielder Davis Schneider, reliever Tommy Nance The Blue Jays are getting set for a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers, who have the best record in MLB, and they'll go into it just half a game behind the Detroit Tigers for the best record in the American League. Bullpen questions abound, and we discuss those on this episode of Deep Left Field, and also welcome Max Scherzer to the podcast for the first time. The 41-year-old, Cooperstown-bound starting pitcher is showing glimpses of the pitcher who won three Cy Young awards every time out and we discuss his comeback from three months missed with a thumb injury. We also try to get him to compare this Jays team to the three teams he's played on that have been to the World Series, but he's not looking past his next start. Davis Schneider homered twice Wednesday night and has been red-hot in the month of August, batting .341 with an 1.123 OPS. He joins the show to talk about his turnaround and to sing the praises of his roommate, Ernie Clement, and of Joey Loperfido, who is likely to move back in with them shortly. And 34-year-old Tommy Nance, who has a 0.90 ERA out of the bullpen in 17 appearances, discusses his long and winding path to the big leagues, his flourishing in his role with the Jays and how excited he is to be part of a September pennant push for the first time in his career.

Guests: Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman, reliever Seranthony Dominguez, infielder Ty France   This week in Deep Left Field, we talk to the closer. Jeff Hoffman melted down in embarrassing fashion in Los Angeles on August 10, causing panic among the fans and calls to put him in a lower-leverage role in the Jays' bullpen. Since that outing, Hoffman has appeared in four games and allowed only one hit, with nine strikeouts against 13 batters faced. He talks about his meltdown - and how he wanted to stay in that game to face Shohei Ohtani with the bases loaded - his first year as a full-time closer and the potential to be pitching in big spots in the post-season.   Seranthony Dominguez has pitched in several big spots in the post-season, with a career ERA of 1.02 in 17 playoff appearances, some as a teammate of Hoffman's two years ago in Philadelphia. We play "Get To Know The New Guy" with Dominguez, acquired from Baltimore at the trade deadline, and do the same with Ty France, who was picked up from the Minnesota Twins a couple of days later.

Guests: Blue Jays top prospect Trey Yesavage, Gold Glove centrefielder Daulton Varsho, rehabbing Jays starter Alek Manoah  This week in Deep Left Field, we head down to the farm and talk to right-hander Trey Yesavage, the Jays' first-round pick last July, as he prepares to make his debut with the Buffalo Bisons - the fourth team in the Jays' system for which he has suited up in this, his first season in pro ball. The 22-year-old has allowed just 45 hits and notched a whopping 134 strikeouts in 80 2/3 innings this year at Dunedin, Vancouver and New Hampshire combined. He'll start for the Bisons on August 14 and the big leagues will be the next stop. That final promotion could very well come as soon as next month. We also chat with Alek Manoah following a disappointing rehab outing in Buffalo. The former all-star and Cy Young finalist is recovering from reconstructive elbow surgery and in the first Triple-A start in his rehab assignment, lasted just an inning and two-thirds. Also, Daulton Varsho joins us to talk about watching from the sidelines as the Jays built the best record in the American League and then picking up right where he left off, power-wise, when he rejoined them.

The Blue Jays spent the weekend in Los Angeles almost getting swept by the defending World Series champions and the drama was so far through the roof that a bonus episode of Deep Left Field was required so we could all process it. From the high of a club-record 45 runs scored over three games in Colorado to just two runs combined in the first two games at Dodger Stadium and just two more through the first seven innings of the series finale, questions were starting to pop up about the Jays, despite them having the American League's best record. A Sunday loss would leave them with only five wins in their last 14 games - three of them against the worst team in the game. Was the air starting to come out of the balloon? Was the Jays' record a mirage? Can we actually not have nice things in Toronto? Home runs by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger gave the Jays a late lead, but closer Jeff Hoffman gave it right back with a bases loaded walk, then walked three more in the ninth after Ernie Clement went deep to give the Jays yet another lead. Mason Fluharty, the youngest pitcher on the staff, had to bail Hoffman out, and did he ever. We go through all of it for you here in Deep Left Field - what happened, what it means, and who does what going forward as the Jays move into the final 43 games of the season.

Guests: Blue Jays rehabbing pitcher Shane Bieber, Buffalo Bisons catcher Brandon Valenzuela     Two of the Blue Jays' trade deadline acquisitions have yet to make their debuts with the big club, and you'll meet them both this week in Deep Left Field! Shane Bieber spoke after his first rehab start in Buffalo, in which he threw five innings against the Syracuse Mets, allowing two runs on five hits with a walk and six strikeouts. You'll hear his comments about how he felt, the whirlwind that sent him from Cleveland to Toronto to Buffalo in three days and what he thought of becoming a Blue Jay. Brandon Valenzuela was acquired in a head-shaking trade with the San Diego Padres, straight up for Will Wagner. The 24-year-old catcher made his organizational debut, catching Bieber in that rehab game, and we caught up with him afterward. The Mexican native discussed meeting Alejandro Kirk, catching Bieber - he said he's never seen anything like it - and the unexpected trade that put him on the road to a potential big-league debut in Toronto. You'll also hear all about the overwhelming, record-setting series sweep in Colorado as well as a short treatise on run differential, since the Jays added 39 runs to it this week!

The trade deadline has passed and the Blue Jays made a deal right up against the clock, picking up big-armed back-end reliever Louis Varland from the Minnesota Twins to help bolster their bullpen, at the cost of prospect pitcher Kendry Morales and young, promising outfielder Alan Roden. They also got Ty France in that trade, for some reason.   I'm joined by my Toronto Star colleague Gregor Chisholm to go over the Jays' moves at the deadline, including the surprise acquisition of two-time all-star and perennial (when healthy) Cy Young candidate Shane Bieber as well as reliever Seranthony Dominguez and the trade of Will Wagner to San Diego for minor-league catching depth.   As well, we'll go over all the moves made by the Jays' rivals and see how they stack up as August begins with Toronto in first place overall in the American League and holding a 3 ½ game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East.   All that, plus your comments and questions as well!

Guest: Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt   They added to their bullpen Tuesday by acquiring Seranthony Dominguez from Baltimore, but a dozen more trades were made across the majors on Wednesday and the Jays weren't involved.   Big Toronto targets Jhoan Duran and Ryan Helsley, a couple of huge relief arms, and slugging third baseman Eugenio Suarez all came off the board, going to Philadelphia, the New York Mets and Seattle, respectively. Who's left for the Jays to pick up on the last day? We go over that list for you, as well as examine the trades that were made to see if the Jays could have made more compelling offers.   Also, Jays' starter Chris Bassitt joins us to talk about the keys to the team's success so far this season and his influence on how the players are handled.  

Guest: Blue Jays Associate Manager DeMarlo Hale       The Blue Jays got swept in their Tuesday doubleheader in Baltimore and they've lost four in a row, but they've still got the best record in the American League and a four-game lead in the AL East. There is, quite literally, no need to panic.   Between games of the double-dip, they made their first deal of Trade Deadline Week, acquiring big-armed reliever Seranthony Dominguez from the Orioles - he suited up for the O's in the opener and pitched for the Jays in the nightcap - but they're going to need to do some dealing over the next couple of days to plug the holes that are starting to pop open.   The ugly 16-4 loss in Tuesday's first game got the Jays to the two-thirds mark of the season, and when that happens, we go to associate manager DeMarlo Hale for a check-in, as we do after every third of every season. He offers his insight as to what's going on with a team that, when we spoke before Sunday's game in Detroit, had won an astonishing 21 of 26 games. Now it's 21 of 30.  

Guest: Blue Jays outfielder Joey Loperfido   With the Blue Jays holding first place overall in Major League Baseball and the trade deadline coming up on July 31, Deep Left Field is going daily for Trade Deadline Week!   Today, we're joined by Jays outfielder Joey Loperfido, who was traded at last year's deadline in the Yusei Kikuchi deal, coming to Toronto along with Will Wagner and Jake Bloss, to discuss the difference between last year and this year. From his perspective, there doesn't seem to be much.   We also look at the Jays loss in Baltimore on Monday, how George Springer's injury might affect the Jays' deadline strategy, Emmanuel Clase coming off the board because of a gambling investigation and more!  

Guest: Toronto Blue Jays Manager John Schneider The Blue Jays continued to extend their lead in the AL East this weekend by taking three of four from the Detroit Tigers, in Detroit. With the best record in Major League Baseball and the MLB trade deadline coming July 31, Deep Left Field is going to have updates every day throughout. We'll start this Trade Deadline Week with our conversation with Jays skipper John Schneider.

Guests: Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman, former Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion, New York Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay   The Blue Jays came out of the all-star break and picked up right where they left off, sweeping the San Francisco Giants then taking two of three from the Yankees as part of a 5-1 homestand. This week in Deep Left Field, we sit down with Kevin Gausman, who threw seven brilliant innings in Monday night's win over the Yankees, to discuss the first-place Jays, who moved into a tie with the Houston Astros for the best record in the American League with their win on Wednesday.   That Wednesday win was the seventh straight sellout at Rogers Centre, and Jays fans are becoming a big part of the story. Edwin Encarnacion remembers what it was like at the dome when the Jays were rolling in 2015 and 2016, and he joins us to compare those teams and those atmospheres to this one.   Also, Yankees television broadcaster Michael Kay created a firestorm with his comments about the Jays not being a first-place team and not even playing that well on his radio show a few weeks ago. We gave him a chance to clarify, apologize or double down - join us to see which route he chose.

Guests: Paul Sun-Hyung Lee of Kim's Convenience and The Mandalorian, Second City Veteran/TV Writer Pat Smith       This week in Deep Left FIeld, we get you set for the unofficial second half of the baseball season which, for the first time in over three decades, will begin with the Blue Jays in first place. We present a round table (maybe triangle) with Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Pat Smith to discuss the feelings around this first-half surge, what to hope for - and what to actually expect - at the trade deadline, how much credit to give to Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins, the very unVladdylike first half of the season of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and much more!

Guest: Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lukes   The Blue Jays have swept their way into first place by beating the New York Yankees four straight – the first time that has ever happened in Toronto. The Jays scored 36 runs over the four-game sweep, coming from behind twice and rebounding from blowing an eight-run lead once, in four intense games in an incredible atmosphere at Rogers Centre.   Since May 27, the Jays are 23-10 – tied with the Houston Astros for the best record in the major leagues over that span – and they have turned an eight-game deficit in the division into a one-game lead. It's the first time they've been in first place outside the first three weeks of a season since 2016.   Nathan Lukes put the Jays on top to stay in Thursday's finale with a two-run double that ended an epic 14-pitch at-bat. The Jays' leadoff man - for that game, anyway - joins us to talk about that big hit and more!

Guests: Blue Jays reliever Chad Green, outfielders Davis Schneider and Myles Straw      This week in Deep Left Field, we talk to three of your first-place Toronto Blue Jays. Davis Schneider, who homered twice in Wednesday's win and is hitting .400 in the Yankees' series through the first three games, talks about the run he's been on, the run the team has been on for the past six weeks and how they're doing it in the absence of some big pieces. We catch up with Myles Straw to talk about his impact in the field and on the bases, especially with Daulton Varsho on the shelf, and to discuss the fresh start he's gotten in Toronto. And Chad Green discusses his roller-coaster season so far, his message to Mason Fluharty upon the rookie getting optioned to Buffalo and the Jays' bullpen through the first half of the season.

Guests: Blue Jays pitcher Eric Lauer, former Texas Rangers manager Jeff Banister   This week in Deep Left Field, we present two in-depth, long form, incredible conversations. First, we get to know left-hander Eric Lauer, who emerged seemingly out of nowhere to be arguably the Jays' best pitcher over the past couple of months, and inarguably the one they would be lost without at this point in the season. Then, we get a fresh perspective on the biggest Blue Jays moment of the 21st century. Current Arizona Diamondbacks bench coach Jeff Banister was managing the Texas Rangers when Jose Bautista hit his iconic BatFlip home run. He looks back on that moment - and shares the incredible story that led to him getting to the major leagues - and tries to convince us that Rougned Odor is a good guy.  

Guests: Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Randal Grichuk, Blue Jays pitcher Braydon Fisher       This week in Deep Left Field, we catch up with an old pal Randal Grichuk, who played four seasons for the Jays, is back in Toronto for the first time since being traded to the Colorado Rockies in spring training of 2022. We look back at his time here, at the Jays' great 2021 team, Grichuk helping to break in a 20-year-old Vladimir Guerrero Jr and, of course, we get the story on his nickname, Handsome Randal. Then we introduce you to rookie Braydon Fisher, who has yet to allow a run in 14 appearances out of the Jays' bullpen this season. Also, a tribute to longtime Jays team doctor Ron Taylor, who passed away this week at the age of 87.  

Guests: Phillies closer Jordan Romano, Blue Jays bench coach Don Mattingly and his son, Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly   The Blue Jays chose not to tender a contract to homegrown closer Jordan Romano, who is third on their all-time saves list, this winter, and he was snapped up by Philadelphia pretty quickly. He came back to Toronto and got walked off by old buddy Alejandro Kirk. We talked to Romano after that game.   And with fathers' day weekend upon us, we talk to father-son Mattinglys - Blue Jays bench coach Don and his son Preston, who grew up to run the Phillies.

DeMarlo Hale, Athletics/Baseball Canada outfielder Denzel Clarke   This week in Deep Left Field, we sit down with DeMarlo Hale for his thoughts on the Blue Jays season so far. Hale thinks a season is best looked over after each third, so we look back at the first third and forward to what he thinks the team can accomplish over the next couple of months. We also introduce you to Denzel Clarke, a Pickering native who had his coming out party at Rogers Centre on the weekend. While the Jays were sweeping his A's in four straight games, Clarke belted his first big-league home run, had his first career multi-hit game and dazzled on defence, including going up and over the center field wall to take a home run away from Alejandro Kirk.

Guests: Former Blue Jays/current San Diego Padres coach Tim Leiper, major-league umpire Steven Jaschinski, Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Board Chair Jeremy Diamond   This week in Deep Left Field is all about the true north strong and free! Tim Leiper joins us to reminisce about his Jays days and talk about Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Jose Bautista and Greg Hamilton. Leiper, a southern California native who now makes his home in Huntsville, Ont., was coaching first base when Bautista flipped his bat in 2015 and has coached third base for Canada's senior men's national team for more than two decades. Jaschinski made his major-league debut as an umpire on May 16 when the Jays hosted Detroit and the Burlington, Ont. native tells us how he got to the bigs all the way from Aldershot School. And with the CBHOF induction weekend coming up, Jeremy Diamond checks in to tell us what to expect in St. Marys.  

Guests: Blue Jays centerfielder Daulton Varsho, third baseman Addison Barger, Buffalo Bisons manager Casey Candaele   This week, we talk to two of the players most consequential to the Jays' recent turnaround that has seen them win eight out of 12 games going into their May 22 series finale against the San Diego Padres.   Daulton Varsho leads the team with seven home runs despite only having been active since the end of April. He joins us to talk about his power prowess, his ongoing recovery from shoulder surgery and his advice to his teammates who had been struggling offensively when he arrived.    Addison Barger got a chance to play every day when Andres Gimenez got hurt and been one of the Jays' best hitters since then. He talks about his time on the shuttle back and forth from Buffalo, his power potential and his record-setting day in right field back in April.   Also, we get the word on the Jays' to minor-league affiliate and the players down there who are on the verge of helping the big club from Bisons skipper Casey Candaele.