Vladimir Guerrero Jr. likes to put on a show in the Bronx. He did so with power and speed on Tuesday in the early part of Game 3 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees.
The Toronto Blue Jays’ star followed a first-inning home run to center field with a slide for the ages in the third.
After outfielder Davis Schneider doubled to start the top of the inning, Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodón intentionally walked Guerrero, who has blasted a homer in each game of this ALDS.
A single from Daulton Varsho then plated Schneider and advanced Guerrero to second. From there, Guerrero was fleet of foot on an October play that could go down in Blue Jays history.
Guerrero, who has dropped weight to transform his body since he debuted for the Jays in 2019, made a beeline for home after Ernie Clement pulled a single past the outstretched glove of Yankees third baseman Ryan McMahon into left field.
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Guerrero rounded third and then, at a least a full step before the circle of home-plate dirt, took flight. Soaring through the air like Superman, Guerrero defied gravity for a moment before all 6 feet, 245 pounds of him came crashing down in a run-scoring slide.
His left hand, equipped with a red and blue sliding mitt, reached the plate before the tag, rendering an impressive throw from Cody Bellinger obsolete.
And Guerrero knew it. He immediately bounced up and emphatically clapped his hands together before receiving a high-five from outfielder Anthony Santander.
Maybe that exchange transferred super power to Santander, who slapped a hard-hit single into right for two additional runs.
The Blue Jays’ four-run third inning gave them a 6-1 lead.
Unfortunately for Toronto, the Yankees erased it by the end of the fourth, in large part thanks to a towering, 373-foot, three-run home run from Aaron Judge.
As for Guerrero, his dominance against the Yankees, particularly on the road, is special. His 427-foot dinger to center in the first inning Tuesday was his 17th career home run at Yankee Stadium.
Guerrero also singled in the top of the fourth, making him 8-for-11 in this series.