TORONTO — The Blue Jays hope that beginning subsequent week, their highway to the World Collection winds by means of Toronto, Houston and a few different cities. Their highway to the postseason, although, tore straight by means of Boston with no velocity restrict.
The Blue Jays accomplished their sweep of the Purple Sox with a 6-3 win Sunday at Rogers Centre of their ultimate residence recreation of the season, however this division rivalry has been a year-long beatdown.
Toronto completed its season sequence with a 16-3 file in opposition to Boston, probably the most wins it has had in opposition to one opponent in a single season in membership historical past. The Blue Jays outscored the Purple Sox, 125-55, highlighted by their historic 28-5 win again on July 22, and out-hit them, 218-155. That’s probably the most hits the Blue Jays have recorded in opposition to one staff in a single season.
Even when you made that file 12-7 in opposition to the Purple Sox — which the Blue Jays could be thrilled with most seasons — this Wild Card race would look utterly completely different. This sequence’ video games have outlined Toronto’s season.
Standings replace: 90-69 (first AL Wild Card spot)
Video games remaining: 3 (vs. Orioles)
AL Wild Card: The win strikes the Blue Jays to 2 1/2 video games up on the Mariners, who misplaced to the A’s on Sunday, and 4 video games forward of the Rays, who misplaced to the Astros on Sunday.
Seeding battle: Toronto would lose the tiebreaker in opposition to each the Rays, who beat the Blue Jays, 10-9, within the season sequence, and the Mariners, who beat them, 5-2.
“I feel our recreation plan in opposition to their actually powerful hitters has been nice, and we’ve taken care of the baseball,” mentioned supervisor John Schneider. “I feel again to [Matt] Chapman’s play at Fenway, the backhanded flip double play. We’ve made some actually good performs, like [Raimel] Tapia’s inside-the-park grand slam. Issues have simply been falling our method in opposition to a very good staff. It’s additionally what our offense is able to doing.”
Toronto’s solely scare this weekend got here after the third inning Sunday, when starter Kevin Gausman exited with a lower close to the fingernail on his proper center finger, however the veteran is skilled in coping with these cuts and blisters and expects to be simply wonderful for the Wild Card Collection. It’s a serious reduction for Toronto, given Gausman’s dominant potential with that devastating splitter.
“If this was a playoff recreation or if it was earlier within the yr the place the circumstances had been a bit of completely different, he would have saved going,” Schneider mentioned, “however we had been simply attempting to play it a bit of bit protected.”
Gausman watched on because the Blue Jays’ bullpen lined six innings with ease, yet one more encouraging arrow pointing in direction of the postseason for this membership. Toronto celebrated its postseason clinch earlier this week, however to a person, their focus lies effectively past punching a ticket.
“I wish to get to the World Collection. I wish to get to the massive sequence,” Gausman mentioned. “That’s what our aim is. Clearly, we all know there are sequence earlier than that, however that’s our aim and it’s been our aim since Day 1. We’re enjoying a very good model of baseball proper now. All we’ve to do is maintain it going.”
Each Gausman and Schneider spoke of a lineup that’s clicking on the proper time. Profitable the World Collection is about being baseball’s greatest staff at a really particular time on the calendar, and if the Blue Jays can peak over the subsequent few weeks, their peak can match any membership in baseball.
Whit Merrifield is a kind of peaking, stepping again into an on a regular basis position and shining. The second baseman went 3-for-4 with a house run and a double Sunday, and after having fun with his first champagne celebration, he sees a clubhouse wanting extra.
“Guys are hungry. They’re hungry not simply to get to the playoffs, however to make a run,” Merrifield mentioned. “Now we have the blokes to do it, and we’ve the expertise to do it. It’s only a matter of getting scorching on the proper time and placing issues collectively. Now we have to be sound in all sides of the sport when Friday comes.”
The Blue Jays will shut their season in Baltimore this week with a three-game sequence that opens with José Berríos and Mitch White on the mound. In an ideal world, the staff is ready to clinch home-field benefit forward of Wednesday, permitting them to show to Yusei Kikuchi and provides some worthwhile relaxation to their regulars.
The Blue Jays would love one other sequence in opposition to the Purple Sox, however it’s these video games which have set them up for no matter it’s that comes subsequent.
