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Since then, it’s been a bit different.

A win that night in Anaheim staved off a sweep, then the Jays went to Seattle and swept the Mariners. It’s been almost nothing but wins since then.

Since the Soler hit, the Jays have rebounded to win 47 of their next 69 games, including Saturday’s 6-1 victory over the Tigers, a .681 winning percentage that would amount to 110 wins over a full season.

That still doesn’t hold a candle to the legendary 2015 club, the team that reignited baseball in ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ and Canada after that season’s trade deadline.

Then-general manager Alex Anthopoulos pushed his chips in and brought in starter David Price, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, outfielder Ben Revere and relievers LaTroy Hawkins and Mark Lowe. From July 29, the day after the Tulowitzki trade was announced, until the day they clinched their first American League East title in 22 years, the Jays went an otherworldly 42-14.

Pete Walker was the Jays’ pitching coach then, and he still is now.

“It’s very similar,” Walker said, comparing the teams and their runs. “There was a vibe, and offensively, defensively, the pitching, everything seemed to come together at the right time. It’s a very similar experience right now in the feeling in the clubhouse, the way the guys go about their business, the belief that they can win every day and expect to win every day.”

Edwin Encarnacion, who belted 39 home runs for the 2015 team, was in uniform as an extra coach in the Jays’ last homestand that saw them go 5-1 against San Francisco and the New York Yankees. He’s all in.

“The way they’ve been playing is unbelievable,” Encarnacion said on the latest episode of “Deep Left Field,” the Star’s baseball podcast. “Very impressed from the top to the bottom. It’s a great feeling, it’s made me remember the good memories back in the day.”

There’s been a more recent superhot streak, too. The Jays went a sizzling 25-10 to finish 2021, going from 6 1/2 games out of a playoff spot to missing the post-season by a single game.

“It was a great and unbelievable run,” José Berríos said after his win here Friday. The right-hander was the Jays’ big pickup at that year’s deadline. “When I came here, that’s how we were playing that year, the way we are right now.”

George Springer was a new Jay that year as well, but he hadn’t considered the comparison.

“I haven’t really put much thought into it, to be honest with you,” Springer said before Saturday’s game. “I just take it one day at a time. From my perspective, it’s been really fun to be in this clubhouse every day and I think we’re just a team that’s going out and playing the best that we can every night.

“Obviously, we’re doing what everybody wants us to do, especially us.”

The 35-year-old played on three straight division champions with Houston and was the World Series MVP in 2017. He understands how long the season is and how difficult it is to win the whole shebang , so he’s the last one to take anything for granted.

“I still always believe that there are things we could do better,” Springer said. “It obviously feels good to win and to beat quality teams. This is great, this has been fun, it’s so much fun to get to the field every day. But I think guys understand that there’s a lot to be done and a lot more to be played.”

It’s true. Those 2015 Jays were eight games out of first place on July 28, later in the season than we are now. They were two games up by Aug. 26, not even a month later. Things can change in a heartbeat.

On July 8 this year, the Tigers won their fifth game in a row and 11th out of 15. They were the best team in the majors by three games over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Since then, they’ve lost 12 of 13 and been passed by six teams.

There are no guarantees. It’s impossible to imagine the Jays playing this well the rest of the way. There will almost definitely be a rough week or two or more, but that doesn’t have to derail them.

Encarnacion, for one, is a believer.

“You can see how they’re playing,” he said. “They’re together. They care about winning. I know they’re going to make history.”