Major League Baseball

MLB Weekly Roundup: Springer helps propel Blue Jays into contention

Updated Sep. 13, 2021 12:26 p.m. ET

By Ben Verlander
FOX Sports Baseball Analyst

Emotions were running high this week as the New York Yankees and the New York Mets got together in Queens on the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

The pregame ceremony was perfectly done, and there likely wasn’t a dry eye in the place.

The game that broke out after was fantastic as well, and it came down to the final pitch before the Yankees pulled it out to the tune of an 8-7 victory. It was a beautiful night in New York.

Now let’s take a look back at some of the best things from the week that was, as well as a look ahead at what’s to come this week.

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TEAM OF THE WEEK

One week ago, the Toronto Blue Jays were not looking like a playoff team. They were four games out of the second wild-card spot, with two other teams in front of them.

Then the Blue Jays went out this week and swept the Yankees in a four-game series in the Bronx. They had the lead in each inning over the course of the entire series, and it marked the first time since 1908 that the Yankees got swept in a four-game series at home without ever holding the lead.

This series was crucial for the Blue Jays, and with the sweep, they rocketed up the standings and vaulted themselves into a wild-card spot.

Toronto then played the Baltimore Orioles, losing the first game before executing a huge, late-game comeback in the second to take the first game of a doubleheader.

The Blue Jays also won the second game of the day. Hotter than hot, they are now in control of their playoff destiny.

SIX-TOOL PLAYER OF THE WEEK

In that comeback for the Blue Jays, with two outs in the last inning, Toronto outfielder George Springer stepped to the plate.

With his team down one run and the game on the line, Springer hit a line-drive home run to left field to take the lead.

He rounded the bases — without his typical high-socks look due to a brace on his injured knee –—full of emotion and passion.

Not only was it a huge moment for him — Springer has unfortunately been plagued with injuries this year — but it was also a huge moment for the team as the Jays propelled themselves into the playoff conversation.

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PHOTO OF THE WEEK

This week was the 20th anniversary of 9/11, and the MLB schedule-makers did an awesome job in scheduling a Yankees-Mets matchup.

The photo of the week comes from the pregame during the national anthem, with the two teams standing together on the foul lines.

WHAT TO WATCH IN THE WEEK AHEAD

The AL wild card

This appears to be coming down to a three-way race among AL East teams. The Blue Jays, Yankees and Boston Red Sox are all within one game of one another, and there are only two spots available.

The Jays are the hottest team right now but are heading into a tough matchup against the AL-leading Tampa Bay Rays.

Keep an eye on this race because we might be in for a three-way battle for the ages down the final stretch of the season.

The Reds and Padres

On the National League side, the wild-card race is down to the Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres.

I picked the Reds to win, and this week is a big example as to why. The Reds are playing the Pittsburgh Pirates, while the Padres are playing the San Francisco Giants. Strength of schedule down the stretch vastly favors the Reds, and this week the Padres have reached the now-or-never juncture of their season.

The home run race

It seemed that Shohei Ohtani had a firm grasp on the home run crown this year, but Salvador Perez has caught fire, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has gotten hot once again.

Ohtani and Guerrero are tied at 44, while Perez is at 42.

Keep an eye on it this week. This is one of the most exciting home run races in recent memory, with a pitcher, a catcher and a 22-year-old phenom all in the hunt.

Ben Verlander is an MLB Analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the "Flippin' Bats" podcast. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Verlander was an All-American at Old Dominion University before he joined his brother, Justin, in Detroit as a 14th-round pick of the Tigers in 2013. He spent five years in the Tigers organization. Follow him on Twitter @Verly32.