On Thursday afternoon, tension hung in the air of Toronto’s Rogers Centre. Max Scherzer, the Blue Jays’ ace, went against the Cubs’ Matthew Boyd in what many deemed a classic duel. The battle spanned six innings, where both teams’ bats were quiet, as hits were a rare treasure, resembling a gripping movie where one mistake could spoil the excitement.

As the top of the 6th inning began, Michael Busch, the Cubs’ first baseman, put the team up 1-0 with a homer to right field on a first-pitch curveball from Scherzer. Scherzer managed to pull himself for the remainder of the inning, but the damage was done. The pressure started to build for the Blue Jays. Boyd was nearly untouchable, as he had only given up a single through the first six innings.

A quiet sense of panic must’ve befallen as Max Scherzer sat in the dugout. He had pitched a brilliant game, only to be haunted by one mistake. He was starting to lose hope, but refused to surrender. “Just kept telling myself we’re not going to lose this game 1-0,” Scherzer later confessed. “I’m not losing this game on the solo shot. Somebody’s going to come through for us. Just kept repeating that in my head. And, finally, Vladdy.”

The franchise icon Vladimir Guerrero Jr. snatched the win for Schrezer when he smashed his 20th homer to center on a 0-2 count at the bottom of the 7th.

The night saw the Blue Jays come out on top in a 2-1 thriller.

Scherzer earned the win in a stellar seven-inning performance, allowing just five hits and one run while striking out three batters. Jeff Hoffman recorded his 27th save. In the game, the Cubs’ Matthew Boyd has the hard luck despite an amazing performance. Post-game, Vladdy broke down the key at bat for us. “I was just fighting the whole entire at-bat looking for a pitch to hit,” Guerrero shared. “It happened that he left that pitch hanging, and then I could connect.”

This remarkable moment occurred a day after Vladdy’s audacious statement. He claimed that his enormous contract extension, a staggering 14-year deal worth $500 million, was the reason for the team’s success. “I think when I got signed, things changed. The clubhouse changed,” he stated. “That contract made me understand that I have to work hard and try to keep the whole team together.”

He talked on Tuesday, and on Thursday, with one swing, he showed everyone he was ready to walk the walk.

The anatomy of a championship contender

This victory is especially important for Max Scherzer. With this win, the seasoned veteran is now 3-2 for the season. He may not be striking out batters at his historic rate (52 this season compared to 3459 K over 476 games), but he has been incredibly effective with a 2.42 ERA over his last four starts. His seasonal ERA stands at 3.83. Recently, his fastball velocity has shown he’s getting stronger as the season progresses.

The 26-year-old is slashing .300 with an impressive .893 OPS, which means Vladdy is having another outstanding season. Funny enough, he used to be a bitter rival of Scherzer. Vlad Jr. was 2 for 8 with 2 HRs and 5 RBIs off Scherzer in 3 games: A pretty impressive line. And now, the ace that once tried to strike him out is counting on him for the most crucial season hits. This history of rivalry makes the recent events all the more interesting.

This triumph goes beyond being another check in the win column for the Blue Jays; they have now sealed their identity as a mentally tough and resilient team. They also had the best record in the American League with 71-51, further strengthening their hold in the AL East. The loss, however, added to the Cubs’ never-ending season of frustrating missed opportunities. They now stand at 68-52, slipping further in the race for the NL Central.