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The Yankees have by far the more favourable schedule, playing at home against two last-place division teams in the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles.

Meanwhile, the Jays take on the Red Sox for three home games starting Tuesday, with Boston desperately hanging on to a wild-card spot. º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøthen finishes the season hosting the Tampa Bay Rays, who seem to give the Jays trouble no matter the circumstances.

The Jays, however, have had the Red Sox’s number this season, winning seven of 10. And º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøboasts the best home record in the league at 50-25.

Magic number

The magic number is four. Any combination of º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøwins and New York losses adding up to four would give the Jays the division.

The earliest the Jays can clinch a playoff berth is Wednesday night.

How the Jays can clinch

• If the Jays finish the season at 4-2 or better, it doesn’t matter what the Yankees do

• If the Jays go 3-3, and the Yankees go 5-1 or worse

• If the Jays go 2-4, and the Yankees go 4-2 or worse

• If the Jays go 1-5, and the Yankees go 3-3 or worse

• If the Jays go 0-6, and the Yankees go 2-4 or worse

Many Jays fans would like to see the division wrapped up before Friday night, when Toronto’s home game against the Rays will only be broadcast on the Apple TV+ streaming app, as part of the deal MLB struck to ensure that last Friday’s game (which was a potential playoff clincher) would be simulcast on Sportsnet.

How the Jays can miss out on AL East crown

• If the Jays go 3-3, and the Yankees go 6-0

• If the Jays go 2-4, and the Yankees go 5-1 or better

• If the Jays go 1-5, and the Yankees go 4-2 or better

• If the Jays go 0-6, and the Yankees go 3-3 or better

AL standings snapshot

º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍø(90-66) has a two-game lead over the Yankees (88-68) in the AL East standings; and three games ahead of Seattle Mariners (87-69) and five ahead of the free-falling Detroit Tigers (85-71) among division leaders.

The Jays hold the tiebreaker over the other three teams. 

The top two division winners skip the wild-card round and head straight to the division series. The team with the best record gains home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs.

The hard-charging Cleveland Guardians had its 10-game win streak snapped Sunday, and are one game back of Detroit. The Tigers had a 15 1/2-game lead in the AL Central on July 6 and the two teams square off in a three-game series starting Tuesday night.

The Red Sox (85-71) hold the second wild card, while the Astros (84-72) and Guardians (84-72) are tied for the third and final wild card. The Guardians hold the tiebreaker against Houston.

Blue Jays

Remaining games:Ìý6

Home games:Ìý6 — Red Sox (3), Rays (3)

Yankees

Remaining games:Ìý6

Home games:Ìý6 — White Sox (3), Orioles (3)