Stretch Drive: With four weeks to go, the Blue Jays have the playoff fate in their grip

A series win over the Baltimore Orioles this week gave the Toronto Blue Jays some much-needed breathing space in the American League playoff race.

Canada’s only major league baseball team is in control of its destiny even through the four weeks of the regular season.

Securing one of the three wild card spots remains a likely outcome for Toronto. Home advantage in a first-round series is possible, and there is a slim chance of first place in the East Division table.

Toronto starts a three-game set against the Texas Rangers on Friday night before returning to the Rogers Center for an important eight-game homestand against division opponents.

With a 76-60 record and some momentum from a strong road trip, the Blue Jays look well positioned for the stretch drive.

east solid

Six of Toronto’s final eight series will face opponents from the East Division. A critical five-game series against Tampa Bay comes next week ahead of a three-game set against the Orioles.

As Thursday’s games began, Idle Toronto was a half game behind the Seattle Mariners (77-60) and 1½ games behind the Rays (77-58). The division-leading New York Yankees (83-54) were five games ahead of Tampa Bay and 6½ games ahead of the Blue Jays.

In the wildcard race, Toronto was 4½ games ahead of Baltimore and 7½ games ahead of the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox.

Under the new playoff format, a pair of AL wild card series will be played, with the top two division winners earning a division series bye. The other division winner (No. 3) will host the third wild-card team (No. 6) in a best-of-three series, while the first wild-card club (No. 4) will host the second wild-card team (No. 5 seeds) in the other.

The Blue Jays have a 5.7 percent chance of winning the East and a 92.1 percent chance of earning a wildcard spot, according to the FanGraphs website.

aces high

The brace of Alek Manoah (14-7, 2.42 ERA) and Kevin Gausman (11-9, 3.12) at the top of the rotation helped Toronto stay in the playoffs.

Ross Stripling (7-4, 3.03) has been a reliable presence since replacing Hyun-Jin Ryu in the rotation, but he’s only made it to the seventh inning in two of his 19 starts.

Jose Berrios (10-5, 5.23) has been plagued by inconsistencies all year, and Toronto’s No. 5 spot — previously held by reliever Yusei Kikuchi and most recently by the demoted Mitch White — can be filled by opening games from the bullpen, depending on opponents will.

sweet relief

Left-hander Tim Mayza’s return from a two-week stint on the injured list last month helped stabilize a bullpen anchored by All-Star closer Jordan Romano.

Yimi Garcia and trade-deadline acquisition Anthony Bass were solid high-leverage options, while sidearmer Adam Cimber was a workhorse with 63 team-leading bets.

A high-velocity option like Julian Merryweather could see more use in the coming weeks. And Fireballer Nate Pearson is still an intriguing possibility as he continues to progress on a minor league rehab assignment.

Off the cutting edge

John Schneider hasn’t been afraid to make his mark on the team since he was appointed interim manager following the mid-season sacking of Charlie Montoyo.

Under the new skipper, who regularly tinkered with the batting order, the Blue Jays were more aggressive on the basepaths. Schneider has also extended Romano’s appearances more often than his predecessor.

Romano, who shares the AL lead with 31 saves, has only played more than an inning once this year under Montoyo. Under Schneider, the closer has made four saves four times and gone two innings twice.

Schneider is 30-18 in his new role (.625 win percentage) while Montoyo left when the team was 46-42 (.523).

Sweet spot

Preseason expectations were high for the Blue Jays, initially considered one of the favorites to reach the World Series.

A strong record from April 14-8 was followed by four months of mediocre results. Wins in eight of their last ten games and a more balanced performance on the hill and on the plate have renewed post-season optimism.

Toronto has 26 games left, including nine encounters with Tampa Bay, six against Baltimore, and three each against New York and Boston. The Blue Jays’ season concludes in early October with a three-game away series against the Orioles.

Bichette gets nods

Toronto shortstop Bo Bichette was named Thursday as the Blue Jays’ nominee for Major League Baseball’s Roberto Clemente Award for Character, Community Involvement and Philanthropy. The club’s 30 nominees include 16 first-time award winners who will be officially recognized on Roberto Clemente Day on September 15. Fan voting for the annual award will continue through Oct. 5, MLB said in a press release. Bichette has volunteered at a local homeless shelter in his hometown of St. Petersburg, Fla., and according to his MLB Awards bio, has also sponsored baseball camps, supplied equipment, and served as a mentor to young players in the community. Bichette was also Toronto’s nominee last year. Washington Nationals batter Nelson Cruz won the award in 2021. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Clemente’s death. The Hall of Famer and 15-time All-Star died in a plane crash in 1972 while trying to deliver relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

The Canadian Press with a report by The Associated Press