From a memorable clinching catch in 1985 to ‘Thank You, Alex!’ chants in 2015, the Toronto Blue Jays have had their share of memorable stretch drive moments.
With the 2025 team on the verge of clinching a post-season berth, here’s a look back at five late-season memories from the franchise’s near half-century history.
DRIVE OF ’85
The Blue Jays turned a corner in 1983 with their first winning season and followed that up with a second-place finish in the East Division standings the following year.
The playoff hurdle was finally cleared in 1985 as Toronto sealed the East title on Oct. 5 with a 5-1 victory over the New York Yankees.
When George Bell caught Ron Hassey’s fly ball in left field, the Blue Jays outfielder dropped to his knees, leaned back and shook his arms in delight before high-fiving shortstop Tony Fernandez.
Starter Doyle Alexander was swarmed by his teammates and raised on their shoulders in celebration as the Exhibition Stadium crowd roared in delight.
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TITLE DROUGHT
Many Blue Jays fans made the road trip to Baltimore on Sept. 30, 2015 in anticipation of Toronto winning the East crown for the first time in 22 years.
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General manager Alex Anthopoulos, who made an all-in push at the trade deadline that year, was seated by the Blue Jays dugout for the clinching game at Camden Yards.
With Toronto about to close out a 15-2 pasting of the Orioles, chants of ‘Thank you, Alex!’ started to rain down from the Blue Jays’ faithful in the crowd.
Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and Justin Smoak homered in the victory.
COLLAPSE COMPLETE
A second-inning solo shot by Larry Herndon that barely cleared the fence at Tiger Stadium on Oct. 4, 1987 proved to be the fatal blow that cemented Toronto’s remarkable collapse that year.
The Blue Jays finished with a 96-66 mark but dropped their last seven games, including a 1-0 decision to Detroit in the season finale. A 3 1/2-game division lead had evaporated in just over a week.
Herndon’s homer off Jimmy Key held up as Detroit’s Frank Tanana pitched a six-hit shutout to lead the Tigers to the East crown.
BUFFALO STANCE
With cardboard cut-outs in the seats at Buffalo’s Sahlen Field on Sept. 24, 2020, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. belted a towering homer off New York’s Jordan Montgomery in the second inning that gave Toronto a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
Hyun Jin Ryu anchored the Blue Jays with a strong seven-inning outing as Toronto beat the Yankees 4-1 to secure a playoff spot for the first time in four years.
The celebration was muted of course, as COVID-19 pandemic restrictions meant fans could not attend.
The Triple-A venue also served as the Blue Jays’ temporary home for part of the 2021 campaign.
FEAR FACTOR
With a roster that included five players who earned MVP votes, the 1993 Blue Jays — reigning World Series champions at the time — were stacked.
General manager Pat Gillick was aggressive at the trade deadline that summer and managed to land stolen base king Rickey Henderson from the Oakland Athletics.
The future Hall of Famer delivered when the second-place Yankees arrived at Rogers Centre on Sept. 24 for a critical three-game weekend series.
Henderson belted his 21st homer of the year in the third inning of the opener, one of three runs he’d score in a 7-3 victory.
Toronto would win the series, New York trailed off in the standings and the Blue Jays would clinch their fifth East title in eight years the following week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
