The Toronto Blue Jays sit 1.5 games outside of the American League’s final postseason position following a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday at Rogers Centre, according to The Canadian Press. With the Chicago White Sox currently holding the third and final AL wild-card berth, Toronto holds a 76-77 record with nine games remaining in the regular season.
Max Scherzer Delivers Critical Outing on the Mound
Max Scherzer earned his third win of the season by pitching five innings of one-run baseball, according to The Canadian Press. Scherzer allowed three hits and three walks while striking out three batters, securing his best start in three outings following a September 11 loss to the Baltimore Orioles and a September 5 win against the Kansas City Royals.
The bullpen preserved the lead over the final four frames. According to The Canadian Press, relievers Mason Fluharty, Spencer Miles, and Louis Varland combined for four scoreless innings. Varland navigated a high-stakes situation in the ninth inning with one out and runners on first and second, when Detroit shortstop John Peck hit a sharp line drive that Blue Jays second baseman Josh Smith caught to strand the runners.
Toronto Capitalizes on Detroit Defensive Missteps
The Blue Jays manufactured runs through small ball and Detroit miscues. Ernie Clement drove in the game’s first run with a fourth-inning sacrifice fly, and Myles Straw followed with an RBI single, according to The Canadian Press. George Springer added an RBI single in the fifth inning.
Detroit (72-80), which entered the matchup on a five-game winning streak as the hottest team in the American League, committed three errors in the fifth inning alone. Those defensive lapses allowed Toronto to extend its lead. Brandon Valenzuela scored on a fielder’s choice in the sixth, and Nathan Lukes drove in Valenzuela with a dribbler up the first-base line, according to The Canadian Press.
AL Wild-Card Standings and Schedule
The Cleveland Guardians defeated Chicago 6-3 on Wednesday to claim the AL Central lead, shifting the White Sox into the third and final wild-card spot, according to The Canadian Press. Four teams remain actively engaged in chasing down Chicago over the final two weeks of the schedule.
The Blue Jays take a rest day on Thursday before traveling to Texas for a pivotal three-game series starting Friday, with Dylan Cease scheduled to take the mound, according to The Canadian Press. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers travel to Chicago to face the White Sox on Thursday.