‘He’s our pilot’: Vladdy extends incredible stretch with HR, 6 RBIs

TORONTO — There’s no time left to find a spark. The Blue Jays need a flamethrower.

Guerrero drove in six runs and was a triple shy of the cycle in Saturday afternoon’s 9-3 win over the Yankees at Rogers Centre, extending a stretch of power that has coincided with an offensive renaissance for the Blue Jays.

With more than half the schedule in the books on this start-and-stop season, Toronto’s only way out of the American League East basement is through a healthy win streak. Vlad is still the guy who could set it all in motion.

“I just feel like every day, I need to do something for the team,” Guerrero said in Spanish. “For me, that’s more personal than seeing myself as a leader.”

Guerrero did plenty to help on Saturday, launching a two-run homer that traveled a Statcast-projected 403 feet to the opposite field in the first inning. It was Guerrero’s third home run in as many games and his sixth in the past eight contests. It also gave him a sixth consecutive game with multiple RBIs — a new franchise record.

“He’s on a tear,” said Yankees catcher Austin Wells. “ … When you’re game planning for one of the better hitters in the league, you just kind of hope to find spots where he’s not looking.”

There haven’t been many such spots lately.

Just look at Guerrero’s three-run double, which capped a five-run sixth inning and broke the game wide open. With the bases loaded, two out and an 0-2 count, Guerrero put together a stunning impression of his father, reaching to make contact with a breaking ball that nearly bounced in front of home plate.

Guerrero added an RBI single in the eighth for good measure. You can never be too careful against the Yankees.

“The ball is round,” Guerrero said. “At any moment, they can go on a run just like us.”

Guerrero applied that same principle when things weren’t going his way.

Guerrero’s well-documented slow start to the season — which featured a .219 average and a .629 OPS in April — looks like a thing of the past. The hits came back last month, and the homers have come in bunches to close out June.

This version of Guerrero feels more genuine — perhaps because there’s no better setting for his personality to shine.

“He’s comfortable and confident,” said manager John Schneider. “And I think when you match that up with his skills, that’s kind of what you’re seeing.”

It’s the long look before leaving the batter’s box, the backstep between second and third, the shushing gesture as he trots to home plate. It’s the hand motion that reads, “This is my house,” as his teammates revel and the crowd roars.

A mashing Vlad is a confident Vlad, and that stuff can be contagious.

“He’s our pilot,” said Isiah Kiner-Falefa. “We go as far as he wants to take us. He’s been carrying the team and doing an amazing job. I feel like everybody is going to, hopefully, start clicking at the same time.”

There’s reason to believe that.

Kiner-Falefa extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a four-hit day, while George Springer continued his own turnaround with two doubles and a walk.

That type of production has been fleeting, but not completely absent this season. Maintaining it has been the challenge for the Blue Jays — an especially frustrating reality when their starters are as good as Chris Bassitt has been.

The right-hander had his own hero moment on Saturday, when he took a 101.6 mph comebacker from Aaron Judge to his pitching arm in the first inning. That prompted Schneider and trainer Jose Ministral to sprint out of the dugout, but Bassitt was able to convince his manager that he was fine to stay in the game.

“I knew I was fine to stay in the game right away,” said Bassitt. “I just wasn’t too sure about the inning after that.”

Bassitt was just fine in the following inning, and the innings after that. He handed the Blue Jays another quality start — his ninth this season — striking out eight with one unearned run allowed over six innings for his first win since June 2.

Was it a boon to finally get some run support after that scary moment in the first?

“I’m just happy they’re getting rewarded for all their hard work,” said Bassitt. “They put a ton of work in so far this year trying to get right. They weren’t getting rewarded for a long time. I feel like they finally are, so I’m just happy that they’re getting the results that they’ve earned.”