Blue Jays beat Phillies 2-1 on June 4, 2025, thanks to Alejandro Kirk's walk-off double. Vladdy Guerrero Jr. & José Berríos starred. Jays seek series win vs Phillies on June 5!
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
What a night at Rogers Centre! Alejandro Kirk playing hero with a walk-off double to sink the Phillies and former Jay Jordan Romano. The electric 2-1 victory has the Blue Jays (32-29) buzzing as they look to take the series against Philadelphia in today's early 12:07 PM start.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a one-out single off former Blue Jay Jordan Romano, stole second base, and Kirk drove him in with a line drive off the wall in right field.
Last night was pure baseball theatre! With the game knotted 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. got things started with a clutch single off none other than former Blue Jay closer Jordan Romano. Vladdy then showed off his wheels, swiping second to get into scoring position. Up stepped Alejandro Kirk, and 'Captain Kirk' delivered, lacing a double off the right-field wall to bring Vladdy home for the thrilling 2-1 walk-off win. It was a tough pill for Romano to swallow against his old squad. Earlier, José Berríos was fantastic, going six strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits. The Jays had tied it in the sixth when Bo Bichette tripled to score Andrés Giménez.
The Jays will look to carry that momentum into today's 12:07 PM series finale at Rogers Centre, where they boast a solid 21-13 record. Chris Bassitt (5-3, 3.80 ERA) gets the ball for Toronto, facing off against the Phillies' Jesús Luzardo (5-1, 3.58 ERA). It should be a great pitching duel. Interestingly, last night's loss was a rare blip for the Phillies, who fell to 29-8 when scoring first – a testament to how well they usually close games out. Let's hope the Jays can hand them another L today!
Speaking of the Phillies, their star catcher J.T. Realmuto is a question mark for today's game. He had to leave Wednesday's contest in the bottom of the ninth after a Bo Bichette foul tip caught him in the protective cup area – ouch! He walked off gingerly and is being evaluated. His absence would be a significant blow to the Phillies' lineup and defense.
While the wins are great, there's a concerning trend brewing for the Blue Jays pitching staff: the long ball. Through the first 45 games, our arms have surrendered a whopping 68 home runs. That's 1.51 per game, putting the team on a trajectory to allow 245 homers this season. To put that in perspective, the franchise record is 204 (set in 2012), and 245 would be the 12th most in MLB history. Even with the addition of Max Scherzer, this is something the team desperately needs to get under control if they want to make a deep playoff run. It's a stat that's hard to ignore despite the recent good vibes.
So, can the Blue Jays ride the wave of Kirk's walk-off magic and secure a big series win against a tough Phillies team today? With Bassitt on the mound and the Rogers Centre faithful behind them, they've got a great shot. Let's hope for another W and maybe, just maybe, a game where the ball stays in the park a bit more. Go Jays Go!
