Can the Toronto Blue Jays make the postseason?
After a shocking four-game losing streak dropped them to the fourth wild-card spot in the American League, Toronto will now finish the season with a “fateful 15-game series” against their American League East rivals.
Toronto was swept in a four-game series against Texas. Chris Bassett, Hyun-jin Ryu, Yusei Kikuchi, and Kevin Gausman took turns on the mound, and the offense was outclassed by Texas.
Toronto remained in third place in the East with 80 wins and 67 losses, but slipped to the fourth wild card spot. They are 11.5 games behind first-place Baltimore (91-55) for the division title and will have to rely on the wild card to make the postseason.
The wild card punches a postseason ticket for three teams per league. Tampa Bay (91 wins, 57 losses), the second-place team in the East, has clinched the No. 1 wild card.
Houston (83 wins) is first in the West, followed by Texas (82 wins) and Seattle (81 wins), who are tied with Houston for the second and third wild cards. Toronto is fourth, 1.5 games behind third-place Seattle. Toronto was second in the wild card heading into a four-game series with Texas, but a four-game losing streak dropped them to fourth.
Toronto has a tough schedule ahead. They open a three-game home stand against Boston on April 16. They then hit the road for six games, including three against the New York Yankees and three against Tampa Bay. Finally, they return home for a three-game series against the Yankees and a three-game series against Tampa Bay to close out the season.
Toronto is 3-7 all-time against Boston. The Yankees are 9-4 in their last 10 games. Tampa Bay is tied with Baltimore for the division title. Only one game separates first place Baltimore from second place Tampa Bay.
The starters need to step up. In the four-game series against Texas, Hyun-jin Ryu did his job with a six-inning, three-run quality start, but the rest of the starting rotation struggled. Chris Bassett gave up five runs in 5⅓ innings, Yusei Kikuchi gave up six runs in five innings, and Kevin Gausman gave up four runs in 4⅔ innings. 메이저사이트
Jose Berrios, Bassitt, and Hyun-Jin Ryu will start the three-game series in Boston. Berrios is 10-10 with a 3.63 ERA. Bassitt leads the team with a 14-8 record and a 3.83 ERA.
According to U.S. statistics site FanGraphs, Texas has a 70.4 percent chance of earning one of the three American League wild card spots, while Seattle has a 61.2 percent chance. Toronto’s chances are lower at 34.1 percent.
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