The Blue Jays return home with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance after a disappointing 2-0 loss to the Athletics on Wednesday. Toronto dropped two of three in Sacramento, has now lost three of its last four games and enters tonight at 73-74, just one game behind Cleveland for the final AL Wild Card spot with only 15 games remaining.
On game 148 preview of Flight Deck, Nick Paleolog breaks down another frustrating performance from the Blue Jays’ offence. Toronto managed six hits against Oakland — five singles and a double — but couldn’t push a run across despite putting runners on base throughout the afternoon. After scoring just four runs over the final two games of the series, can the bats finally get going during this crucial homestand?
The good news is Toronto remains right in the thick of the Wild Card race. Cleveland sits only one game ahead, and the Blue Jays hold the season-series tiebreaker over the Guardians. But there’s very little margin for error now, especially with Baltimore arriving in Toronto only two games behind the Jays and three games out of the final playoff spot.
Nick will also look at an Orioles team that suddenly has some life of its own. Baltimore took two of three from Cleveland, including a 9-5 win in the series finale powered by an eight-run third inning. Dylan Beavers drove in three runs, while Coby Mayo added a home run as the Orioles improved to 71-76 and kept their own slim postseason hopes alive.
Looking ahead, Max Scherzer takes the mound for Toronto in one of the biggest starts of his Blue Jays tenure. Scherzer enters at 2-7 with a 6.03 ERA and 48 strikeouts. He’s coming off an outing against Kansas City where he allowed three runs over 5.2 innings, and Toronto desperately needs its veteran right-hander to provide length after leaning heavily on the bullpen in Oakland.
Baltimore counters with former Blue Jay Chris Bassitt, who enters at 6-5 with a 4.96 ERA and 61 strikeouts. Bassitt allowed three runs over 5.2 innings against Boston in his last start while striking out six, and he’ll now face a Toronto lineup that enters this series averaging just over four runs per game.
With Toronto beginning a six-game homestand against Baltimore and Detroit, this could be the stretch that decides the season. Can Scherzer turn back the clock, can the Blue Jays offence wake up, and can Toronto capitalize on another opportunity to climb back into a Wild Card spot?
We finish with Nick’s picks presented by bet365.
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