Flight Deck

The Blue Jays let a massive opportunity slip away Monday night, falling 6-5 to the Detroit Tigers in a game Toronto appeared to have under control multiple times. The loss drops the Jays to 75-76, but Cleveland also lost, keeping Toronto just one game back of the final AL Wild Card spot with only 11 games remaining.On game 152 preview of Flight Deck, Dan Riccio breaks down one of Toronto’s most painful losses of the season. José Soriano was nearly untouchable early, carrying a perfect game into the sixth inning and a no-hitter into the seventh before Detroit finally broke through. Soriano ultimately allowed four runs over 6.1 innings, but his performance gave the Blue Jays every opportunity to take control of the game.Toronto jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before watching Detroit score four times in the seventh. But Kazuma Okamoto answered immediately, crushing a three-run home run to put the Blue Jays back in front 5-4. It was Okamoto’s 33rd homer of the season, continuing an incredible rookie campaign at exactly the time Toronto needs him most.Unfortunately, the bullpen couldn’t make the lead stand up. Detroit tied the game in the eighth before a disastrous sequence in the ninth ultimately decided it. After Zach McKinstry stole second, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made the throw across the diamond on a ground ball, but Louis Varland couldn’t handle it at first, allowing McKinstry to score the eventual winning run.Dan will also look at just how costly these missed opportunities are becoming. Toronto remains only one game behind Cleveland, but the Blue Jays are now below .500 again and running out of time to make their move. Every mistake is magnified with fewer than two weeks remaining in the regular season.Looking ahead, Toronto turns to Braydon Fisher in another bullpen game. Fisher enters at 3-4 with a 3.22 ERA and 72 strikeouts and is expected to once again work as an opener. He has a 1.93 ERA across six appearances in September and hasn’t pitched more than two innings in an outing all summer.Detroit counters with Drew Anderson, who enters at 4-6 with a 3.80 ERA and 105 strikeouts. Anderson has pitched to a 2.97 ERA over his last 33.1 innings and has already handled Toronto once this season, throwing four scoreless innings of relief while allowing just one hit back in May.The Tigers have now won five straight games and will be looking to clinch the series tonight. For Toronto, the equation is becoming pretty simple: start turning these close games into wins or risk watching the Wild Card opportunity disappear.Can the Blue Jays put Monday’s heartbreaking loss behind them, can the bullpen hold up through nine innings, and can Toronto finally gain some ground in the Wild Card race?We finish with Dan’s picks presented by bet365.LIVE every game day one hour before first pitch right here on the Blue Jays Nation YouTube channel and on Instagram @BlueJaysNation.Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of Flight Deck.Thanks to our partners:bet365: http://www.bet365.caTable Fare + Social: https://www.tablefoodhall.com/#BlueJays #TorontoBlueJays #MLB #BlueJaysNation #FlightDeck

The Blue Jays are back at .500 and right in the thick of the playoff race after an emphatic 8-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday. Toronto took two of three from Baltimore, improved to 75-75 and enters tonight just one game behind Cleveland for the final AL Wild Card spot with only 12 games remaining.On game 151 preview of Flight Deck, Dan Riccio breaks down one of Toronto’s most complete wins of the season. Dylan Cease worked through five innings of one-run baseball while striking out nine, and the bullpen took care of the rest as the Blue Jays secured another crucial series victory.But the biggest story came from the offence. George Springer, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Kazuma Okamoto went back-to-back-to-back in the fifth inning, completely changing the game. Vladdy finished 4-for-5 and finally hit his first home run at Rogers Centre this season, ending one of the strangest droughts of his career at the perfect time.Okamoto also continued his incredible rookie season, launching his 32nd home run and reaching 85 RBIs to set a new Blue Jays rookie franchise record.Dan will also look at a Wild Card race that is coming down to the wire. Cleveland sits one game ahead of Toronto, but the Blue Jays own the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Guardians. Cleveland begins a massive series against the White Sox tonight, giving Toronto another opportunity to potentially gain ground.Looking ahead, José Soriano gets the ball as the Blue Jays open a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers. Soriano enters at 12-7 with a 3.48 ERA and 154 strikeouts and is coming off an excellent outing against the Athletics, where he allowed just two runs over seven innings.Detroit counters with Troy Melton, who enters at 8-4 with a 2.42 ERA and 87 strikeouts. Melton was excellent throughout August but has allowed nine earned runs over his last two appearances. Can Toronto’s suddenly hot offence keep rolling against one of Detroit’s best starters?The Tigers arrive in Toronto playing some of their best baseball of the season, so this won’t be an easy series for a Blue Jays team that desperately needs every win it can get.With only 12 games remaining and Toronto sitting just one game outside of a playoff spot, every night feels like a postseason game. Can Soriano deliver another strong start, can Vladdy stay hot after finally going deep at home, and can the Blue Jays pull even with Cleveland in the Wild Card race?We finish with Dan’s picks presented by bet365.LIVE every game day one hour before first pitch right here on the Blue Jays Nation YouTube channel and on Instagram @BlueJaysNation.Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of Flight Deck.Thanks to our partners:bet365: http://www.bet365.caTable Fare + Social: https://www.tablefoodhall.com/#BlueJays #TorontoBlueJays #MLB #BlueJaysNation #FlightDeck

The Toronto Blue Jays are keeping the pressure on in the American League playoff race after beating the Baltimore Orioles 7-3, moving to just 1.0 game back of the Cleveland Guardians.The Jays’ offence came through early to support another bullpen day, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. getting things started with an RBI double before Alejandro Kirk singled him home. Then the power started to show up. Brett Bateman launched his second home run in as many days in the third inning, followed by a two-run blast from Kirk to make it 5-0. Andrés Giménez and Ernie Clement added to the lead as Toronto never looked back.John Schneider’s bullpen game was masterful, with Spencer Miles opening the game and throwing two scoreless innings while striking out five. Spencer Arrighetti then bounced back from a pair of rough outings, working 2.2 innings and allowing just one unearned run to help keep Baltimore off the scoreboard. The other arms that featured included Jow Mantiply, Paul Sewald, Tyler Rogers, Mason Fluharty, and closed off by Louis Varland.Now, the Blue Jays turn to their ace, Dylan Cease, with a chance to win a critical series and put even more pressure on the Cleveland Guardians. Cease will be looking for a bounce-back performance after a tough outing in Sacramento against the A’s, while the Orioles counter with left-hander Trevor Rogers, who was dominant in his previous start against Cleveland.Can the Blue Jays keep their playoff hopes alive and continue their push up the standings, or will the Orioles spoil the party in Toronto?We finish with Nick’s picks presented by bet365.LIVE every game day one hour before first pitch right here on the Blue Jays Nation YouTube channel and on Instagram @BlueJaysNation.Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of Flight Deck.Thanks to our partners:bet365: http://www.bet365.caTable Fare + Social: https://www.tablefoodhall.com/#BlueJays #TorontoBlueJays #MLB #BlueJaysNation #FlightDeck

The Blue Jays’ playoff push took another hit Friday night, as Toronto fell 7-4 to the Baltimore Orioles for its second straight loss. The Jays are now 73-75 and sit two games behind Cleveland for the final AL Wild Card spot with only 14 games remaining in the regular season.On game 149 preview of Flight Deck, Nick Paleolog breaks down a disastrous start from Max Scherzer. Baltimore jumped on Scherzer for six runs over the first two innings, including five in the second, before the veteran settled down to retire 12 consecutive hitters. Scherzer finished with six earned runs allowed over five innings as Toronto once again found itself trying to climb out of a massive early hole.The Blue Jays did make things interesting late. Kazuma Okamoto launched his 31st home run of the season, while Brett Bateman continued his impressive rookie campaign with three hits and his first career MLB home run, a two-run shot in the ninth that brought Toronto within three. The Jays eventually loaded the bases and brought the tying run to the plate before Alejandro Kirk grounded out to end the comeback attempt.Nick will also look at an increasingly dangerous Wild Card picture. Cleveland’s win over Minnesota pushed the Guardians two games ahead of Toronto, while Baltimore has now climbed to just one game behind the Blue Jays. With Toronto and Baltimore tied 4-4 in the season series and five head-to-head meetings remaining, the tiebreaker could become extremely important down the stretch.Looking ahead, Spencer Miles gets the ball for Toronto and enters at 6-2 with a 2.77 ERA and 81 strikeouts. The rookie right-hander has been one of the biggest bright spots in Toronto’s rotation this season, and the Jays badly need him to deliver with their margin for error disappearing.Baltimore counters with Kyle Bradish, who enters at 7-13 with a 3.91 ERA and 140 strikeouts. Bradish has already shown he can dominate this Toronto lineup, throwing seven scoreless innings against the Blue Jays earlier this season.With only 14 games remaining, Toronto can’t afford to let this slide continue. Can Miles deliver another strong start, can the offence build off its late rally from Friday night, and can the Blue Jays pull themselves back within striking distance of the final Wild Card spot?We finish with Nick’s picks presented by bet365.LIVE every game day one hour before first pitch right here on the Blue Jays Nation YouTube channel and on Instagram @BlueJaysNation.Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of Flight Deck.Thanks to our partners:bet365: http://www.bet365.caTable Fare + Social: https://www.tablefoodhall.com/#BlueJays #TorontoBlueJays #MLB #BlueJaysNation #FlightDeck

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.LIVE every game day one hour before first pitch right here on the Blue Jays Nation YouTube channel and on Instagram @BlueJaysNation.Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of Flight Deck.Thanks to our partners:bet365: http://www.bet365.caTable Fare + Social: https://www.tablefoodhall.com/#BlueJays #TorontoBlueJays #MLB #BlueJaysNation #FlightDeck

The Blue Jays bounced back Tuesday night with a much-needed 4-2 win over the Athletics, improving to 73-73 and keeping themselves one game behind Cleveland for the final AL Wild Card spot with 16 games remaining. Toronto now has a chance to take the series and secure a fourth consecutive series victory.On game 147 preview of Flight Deck, Nick Alberga breaks down José Soriano’s outstanding performance. Soriano gave Toronto exactly what it needed after a frustrating series-opening loss, tossing seven innings of two-run baseball while allowing just six hits and one walk. Spencer Miles then slammed the door with two perfect innings and three strikeouts to earn the save.The offence was led by another historic night from Kazuma Okamoto. Josh Smith and Okamoto went back-to-back in the second inning, with Okamoto launching his 30th home run of the season. He becomes the first rookie in Blue Jays franchise history to reach 30 home runs, continuing what has already been a remarkable first MLB season. Okamoto is also heating up at the perfect time, hitting .333 with a 1.009 OPS through his first seven games of September.Nick will also look at the Wild Card picture after Cleveland beat Baltimore on Tuesday. Toronto remains just one game behind the Guardians, meaning there is very little room for error down the stretch. With only 16 games left, every game against a team below .500 becomes increasingly important.Looking ahead, it’ll be a bullpen game for both sides in the series finale. Braydon Fisher gets the start for Toronto and enters at 3-4 with a 3.20 ERA and 68 strikeouts. Fisher has opened eight games this season and enters today having put together five consecutive scoreless appearances.The Athletics counter with left-hander Brady Basso, who enters at 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA. Basso has made four starts this season but has generally been used as an opener, with his longest outing of the year coming last week when he threw three scoreless innings in relief against Seattle.With Toronto back at .500 and still just one game outside of a playoff spot, can the Blue Jays take advantage of Oakland, secure their fourth straight series win and keep the pressure on Cleveland in the Wild Card race?We finish with Nick’s picks presented by bet365.LIVE every game day one hour before first pitch right here on the Blue Jays Nation YouTube channel and on Instagram @BlueJaysNation.Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of Flight Deck.Thanks to our partners:bet365: http://www.bet365.caTable Fare + Social: https://www.tablefoodhall.com/#BlueJays #TorontoBlueJays #MLB #BlueJaysNation #FlightDeck

The Blue Jays let a huge opportunity slip away Monday night, falling 6-5 to the Athletics on a walk-off infield single. Toronto drops to 72-73 and remains one game behind Cleveland for the final AL Wild Card spot after the Guardians also lost.On game 146 preview of Flight Deck, Nick Alberga breaks down a frustrating night in Sacramento. Dylan Cease struggled through five innings, allowing five runs — four earned — as Toronto’s defence and inability to control Oakland’s running game helped the A’s steal five bases and build an early 5-1 lead.The Jays still found a way to fight back. Kazuma Okamoto homered as part of Toronto’s seventh-inning rally before Andrés Giménez tied the game with a solo shot in the ninth. But Louis Varland walked two batters in the bottom half before Jeff McNeil beat out an infield single with the bases loaded to hand Toronto its second straight loss.The good news? Toronto has been handed another opening tonight. Cleveland lost 6-4 to Baltimore earlier today, meaning a Blue Jays win would pull Toronto even with the Guardians at 73-73. The Jays own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Cleveland, so a win would put Toronto back into the final AL Wild Card position.Looking ahead, José Soriano takes the mound for Toronto against Jack Perkins. Soriano enters at 11-7 with a 3.52 ERA and 151 strikeouts. He faced Cleveland in his last start, allowing three runs over 4.2 innings before Toronto eventually rallied for a 6-3 victory.Oakland counters with Perkins, who enters at 3-10 with a 6.50 ERA and 116 strikeouts over 98.1 innings. He was recently recalled after J.T. Ginn landed on the injured list, giving the Blue Jays an opportunity to attack a pitcher who has struggled throughout the season.Nick will also get into the latest on Anthony Santander, who is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Wednesday as he continues working his way back from shoulder surgery. With only a few weeks left in the regular season, could Santander still provide Toronto’s lineup with a late-season boost?After wasting an opportunity Monday night, Toronto has been given another one less than 24 hours later. Can Soriano deliver, can the offence take advantage of Perkins, and can the Blue Jays finally jump back into a playoff spot?We finish with Nick’s picks presented by bet365.LIVE every game day one hour before first pitch right here on the Blue Jays Nation YouTube channel and on Instagram @BlueJaysNation.Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of Flight Deck.Thanks to our partners:bet365: http://www.bet365.caTable Fare + Social: https://www.tablefoodhall.com/#BlueJays #TorontoBlueJays #MLB #BlueJaysNation #FlightDeck

The Blue Jays’ four-game winning streak came to an end Sunday afternoon with a 6-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals, dropping Toronto back to .500 at 72-72. The Jays still took two of three in Kansas City and are 4-2 on their current road trip, but with just 18 games remaining, every missed opportunity is becoming more costly.On game 145 preview of Flight Deck, Nick Alberga breaks down Toronto’s disappointing series finale against the Royals. Spencer Arrighetti surrendered six runs over 4.2 innings, including home runs to Vinnie Pasquantino and Salvador Perez, while the offence managed just one run despite collecting eight hits. Josh Smith provided the only offence with a solo home run, while Brett Bateman continued his strong stretch with three more hits.But Toronto has already received some help today. Cleveland fell 6-4 to Baltimore, meaning the Blue Jays enter tonight just half a game behind the Guardians for the final AL Wild Card spot. Toronto owns the season-series tiebreaker over Cleveland, so a win tonight would move the Jays level in the standings and back into playoff position.Nick will also look at just how important this upcoming stretch is for a Blue Jays team that has won three consecutive series and fought all the way back into the postseason race. After spending much of the summer well below .500, Toronto now controls much more of its own destiny with three weeks remaining.Looking ahead, Dylan Cease takes the mound as Toronto opens a three-game series against the Athletics in Sacramento. Cease enters at 10-5 with a 2.25 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 221 strikeouts. He’s also coming off six scoreless innings against Cleveland and hasn’t lost since July 20, going 4-0 with a 1.38 ERA over his last eight starts.The Athletics counter with left-hander Jacob Lopez, who enters at 6-4 with a 4.71 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 103 strikeouts. Oakland sits at 57-87, but the A’s just took three of four from Seattle and have shown they can still make life difficult for teams fighting for the postseason.With Cleveland already losing today and Toronto’s ace on the mound, this is exactly the type of game the Blue Jays need to capitalize on. Can Cease deliver another dominant performance, can the offence bounce back from Sunday’s quiet showing, and can Toronto climb back into a Wild Card spot tonight?We finish with Nick’s picks presented by bet365.LIVE every game day one hour before first pitch right here on the Blue Jays Nation YouTube channel and on Instagram @BlueJaysNation.Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of Flight Deck.Thanks to our partners:bet365: http://www.bet365.caTable Fare + Social: https://www.tablefoodhall.com/#BlueJays #TorontoBlueJays #MLB #BlueJaysNation #FlightDeckI verified the key current details: Toronto is 72-72, Sunday’s loss was 6-1, Cease is 10-5 with a 2.25 ERA and 221 K, and Cleveland’s loss today leaves Toronto 0.5 GB with the head-to-head tiebreaker in hand.

The Toronto Blue Jays are back to .500 for the first time since June 22 after a win over the Kansas City Royals. After being 10 games under .500 in late July, Toronto has now won six of its last seven and suddenly finds themselves right back in the playoff conversation. On game 143 preview of Flight Deck, Nick Paleolog breaks down the Blue Jays’ offensive surge, the latest concerns surrounding the starting rotation after Jameson Taillon exited early, and whether Max Scherzer can build off his vintage performance against Seattle. Can the Blue Jays keep rolling and complete the series win? Nick previews today’s matchup between Scherzer and Seth Lugo and looks at what Toronto needs to do down the stretch. We finish with Nick's picks presented by bet365.Subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode of Flight Deck.Thanks to our partners:bet365: http://www.bet365.caTable Fare + Social: https://www.tablefoodhall.com/#BlueJays #TorontoBlueJays #MLB #BlueJaysNation #FlightDeck