Well, it all comes down to this. With two games remaining in the regular season, the Blue Jays still control their own fate and the mission is simple: Win both and capture the franchise’s first American League East title since 2015.
The Jays and New York Yankees enter Saturday tied for top spot in the division, but it’s the team from up north that owns the tiebreaker. That means if the Jays win their final two games, it doesn’t matter how the Yankees fare in their matchup against the Baltimore Orioles.
Before they can win two, they have to win one. Here’s what you need to know as the Jays continue their three-game series vs. the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre:
Game 2 preview
Jays rookie Trey Yesavage will make the third start of his big-league career and his second against the Rays. The fact that Tampa has already seen Yesavage up close adds an interesting wrinkle to this game. As potential post-season teams go through the video of Yesavage’s starts they will be paying close attention to the Rays and the adjustments they make this weekend.
Yesavage cruised through his first outing against the Rays. In his major-league debut, the 22-year-old allowed just one run on three hits while striking out nine across five innings. What impressed his teammates and coaches the most was that Yesavage surrendered that run in the first inning, but he bounced back quickly and didn’t let the start get away from him.
Both º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøand the New York Yankees won Friday so the magic number is down to two.
Both º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøand the New York Yankees won Friday so the magic number is down to two.
This will also be Yesavage’s final tune-up before the start of the playoffs. The Jays have yet to announce their plans for a post-season rotation, but Yesavage appears to be the favourite to start Game 3 of a wild-card series after Kevin Gausman and Shane Bieber. The Jays hope to skip that round entirely by winning the division instead.
The Rays will counter with right-hander Joe Boyle. The 26-year-old has only made eight starts this season, but his best one came against the Jays. Boyle allowed just four hits and didn’t walk a batter across six scoreless innings vs. the Jays on Sept. 15.
Game time, TV, probable pitchers
Saturday, 3:07 p.m. on Sportsnet, RH Trey Yesavage (0-0, 5.00) vs. RH Joe Boyle (1-3, 4.40)
Sunday, 3:07 p.m. on Sportsnet, RH Kevin Gausman* (10-11, 3.47) vs. LH Ian Seymour (4-2, 2.85)
* — Gausman likely will not start if the Jays have clinched the division.
Looking ahead
Nobody knows what will happen after Sunday. If the Jays lock up first place in the division, they will receive a bye through the wild-card round. If they finish second, then the Jays likely will be hosting the Boston Red Sox in a wild-card series that begins Tuesday. The Jays’ magic number to clinch the AL East is two.
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