Orioles – Blue Jays

USA - MLB

The Blue Jays entered their three-game series against the Orioles this week with the understanding that it might be their final opportunity to rejoin the American League East race. Should they manage to rally and eliminate the current 7.5-game gap in the division over the remaining 36 games, they will have ignited this potentially remarkable surge with a resounding victory.

Bo Bichette played a pivotal role in the ninth inning with a crucial defensive play, and Brandon Belt launched Mike Baumann's very first pitch of the 10th inning for a decisive two-run homer. This pivotal turn of events secured a crucial 6-3 triumph over the Orioles on Tuesday night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Blue Jays relied on their bullpen, which provided 5 1/3 innings of flawless relief work, clinching only their third victory out of 11 games against the Orioles this season.

The extra-inning win on Tuesday propelled the Blue Jays a step closer to both Baltimore and Tampa Bay in the AL East standings. Simultaneously, it helped them maintain their position in the Wild Card race alongside the Mariners, who managed a victory over the White Sox in Chicago. Currently, the Blue Jays trail the Mariners by just one game for the final AL Wild Card position, although Seattle's lead is essentially more significant. Since the Blue Jays and Mariners had an even split in their six head-to-head matchups this season, the initial playoff tiebreaker is inapplicable. The subsequent tiebreaker, which involves intra-divisional record, shows that Seattle (22-11) holds a substantial advantage over Toronto (12-23).

The Blue Jays are well aware that their struggles against Baltimore this season have significantly contributed to their current standing. The balanced schedule of this year offers them fewer opportunities to make up for these setbacks compared to, let's say, last September when Toronto silenced the emerging Orioles with a convincing three out of four wins in a series, effectively quelling Baltimore's playoff hopes.

While the Blue Jays do have six games left against Tampa Bay in the final 10 days of the season, this series stands as their last direct chance to narrow the gap against the Orioles.

Regardless of the circumstances, the Blue Jays are still in the midst of their series at Orioles Park against Baltimore, and tonight, Gausman will take the mound for the second game of the series. We'll have to see if the Jays can capitalize on this opportunity to turn the tide in their favor.