SIMMONS: Finally, the Blue Jays look like the Blue Jays

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And then came the final innings against the Dodgers on Wednesday afternoon. The top of the sixth and the top of the seventh and even the ninth against hold your breath closer, Jeff Hoffman.

Go back to the sixth inning. The Dodgers loaded the bases with nobody out. Reliever Louis Varland entered the game. Varland pitched his way out of the jam he inherited.

“I love Louis Varland,” manager Schneider said. “He’s so overlooked by a lot of people. Bases loaded, nobody out, that’s almost an impossible ask.”

Varland did his job. Before and after that, pinch-hitter Davis Schneider, who barely makes this team every year, worked a walk to lead off the seventh inning, worked a walk in the eighth, scored two runs, didn’t get a hit, and changed the game.

This is what the Blue Jays do when at their best. This is what baseball discovered about them last season. They play a different game. “Today was a bit of everything,” manager Schneider said. “Whatever it takes.”

It’s easy to say and not so easy to do. Working every out in the game. Coming back from being down 3-1 with Ohtani pitching. Scoring the winning run on a Andres Gimenez stolen base (his call to run) that turned into a stolen base and an error at second base.

Schneider, not the manager, scored the winning run in the bottom of the eighth. “This is what we do well,” said Schneider the manager. “This kind of makes us go. Using everyone like we did, that was us.”

This has been a rather sloppy beginning to the season. The defensively sound Blue Jays haven’t played defensively sound baseball. Virtually every player on the field has made some kind of unlikely mistake in the opening weeks, not looking like the crisp Blue Jays of a year ago.

This isn’t a year ago anymore. Last season was last season. This is a new season. But what the Jays can do best — putting balls in play, getting big hits in big moments, working walks and working at-bats, running the bases with precision, that Blue Jays team will compete for playoffs all season long.

The Jays team that lost three times to the Chicago White Sox, twice to the Colorado Rockies, and 18-3 in two games to the Dodgers, that team won’t impress anyone.

“It’s just got to happen,” said manager Schneider. “It’s all happening right now,” he said before the game. Meaning a lot of the unlikely has been happening. “We have to play clean. We can’t beat ourselves.”

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Davis Schneider was inserted to pinch-hit for Nathan Lukes to lead off the seventh inning. One batter later, Tyler Heineman had a base hit, followed by a run-scoring line drive double by George Springer. Then Daulton Varsho, barely hitting his weight, hit a run-scoring single.

Instead of trailing 3-1, they were tied 3-3.

Then Schneider walked in the eighth before scoring the winning run.

Schneider managing. Schneider walking. Schneider running the bases, scoring twice in two plate appearances. A whole lot of Schneiders.

And now an off day for the Jays. “A great off day,” the manager called it. A chance to look in the mirror and see themselves. Finally. In April of all places.

ssimmons@postmedia.com