Deep Left Field with Mike Wilner

Guests: Blue Jays pitchers Joe Mantiply, Paul Sewald, Jameson Taillon; infielder Sean Keys
 
This week in Deep Left Field, the Blue Jays have surged to within half a game of a playoff spot thanks to five wins in their last six games, including a big series win in Cleveland.
 
We go over the week that was, highlighting a sweep of the Seattle Mariners and what may have been Vladimir Guerrero's breakout game in an 11-0 pounding of the Guardians.
 
Right-hander Jameson Taillon, who will start Friday's series opener in Kansas City, joins us to discuss his deep Canadian connection and to talk, honestly and openly, about his struggles with the Chicago Cubs this season.
 
We hear from Sean Keys, a rookie enjoying a playoff race in his first taste of the big leagues, and a pair of veterans - relievers Joe Mantiply and Paul Sewald - who were teammates on the 2023 Arizona Diamondbacks, a team that got all the way to the World Series after sneaking into the post-season in the last wild card spot. 
 
All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guests: Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease, Jays icon Buck Martinez    
This week in Deep Left Field, it's the first time in a long time that the Blue Jays have lost ground in the playoff race, but they're heading into September well within striking distance of the leader in the chase for the American League's final wild card spot. Thursday, that's the Cleveland Guardians, but that seems to change on a daily basis.
We look back at the Jays' 3-3 Week That Was, with an emphasis on the Shane Bieber injury news that has made the climb toward a playoff position that much more difficult.
Dylan Cease joins us, possibly on the way to a Cy Young award, to talk about what the Jays have to do in September to make it back to the post-season. He also discusses his artistic endeavours, with his work currently on display at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and how much he's gotten to explore Toronto in the first season of his seven-year deal with the Jays.
Buck Martinez is being inducted into the Jays' new Hall of Excellence on the weekend, and the iconic Jays player and broadcaster, who also managed the team for 215 games, joins us to reflect on an incredible career that is more than deserving of Blue Jays immortality.
Plus, a dip into the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guest: Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, star of Kim's Convenience, The Mandalorian, Murdoch Mysteries, and so much more
 
This week in Deep Left Field, the Blue Jays are on the cusp of a playoff berth as they come out of their toughest fortnight of the season, playing exclusively against the three best teams in the American League.
 
Going into Thursday, they're 6-3 so far and have closed to within one game of the final wild card spot in the AL.
 
We talk to Canadian icon of stage and screen - and huge Blue Jays fan - Paul Sun-Hyung Lee about everything that the Jays and their fans have gone through this season, with a special emphasis on Wednesday night's Jesus Sanchez Experience.
 
Also a look back at the Jays' week that was and a dip into the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guests: Canadian baseball great Joey Votto, Blue Jays shortstop Andres Gimenez and pitcher Spencer Miles
This week in Deep Left Field, the Blue Jays are on a roll and have closed to within a game and a half of a playoff spot thanks to five wins in their last six games.
We talk to the Jays' "Captain Clutch," Andres Gimenez, about how he seems to elevate his game to produce in big spots, and to Rule 5 rookie Spencer Miles about notching his first big-league save Tuesday night against the Boston Red Sox.
And we are thrilled to have Joey Votto join us for a wide-ranging conversation about his post-retirement life, how he worked to become one of the greatest hitters Canada has ever produced and what he thinks has gone wrong with Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s season.
All that, plus your thoughts in the mailbag at deepleftfield@thestar.ca!

Guests: Chicago Cubs pitchers Kevin Gausman and Trent Thornton; Blue Jays third baseman Josh Smith
 
This week in Deep Left Field we travel to the north side of Chicago to see Kevin Gausman in his new digs at venerable Wrigley Field.
 
The hope was to see Gausman square off against the team that traded him less than a week ago, but he felt that might be a bit too much.
 
Instead, we got what might be our last conversation with the right-hander for a while. He compares Wrigley to the Rogers Centre, reiterates his love for Toronto but also says how happy he is to be in a winning situation in Chicago.
 
We also speak to former Blue Jay and now Cubs pitcher Trent Thornton, who raves about his new team's acquisition of Gausman and looks back at his own Jays days, plus one of the new Jays acquired at the trade deadline, infielder Josh Smith, joins us to introduce himself to the masses.
 
All that, plus your Bluejays comments and questions in the mailbag at deepleftfield@the star.ca!