Blue Jays clinch home field for wild-card playoff series
Posted October 3, 2022 10:42 pm.
Last Updated October 4, 2022 5:39 am.
The Toronto Blue Jays will play host to a best-of-three, wild-card playoff series starting on Friday at the Rogers Centre.
The Jays defeated the Baltimore Orioles 5-1 in a rain-shortened game in Baltimore earlier tonight. Then the Detroit Tigers knocked off the Mariners 4-3 in Seattle, to allow Toronto to clinch the top wild-card berth, and home-field advantage in the first round of playoffs.
Seattle and the Tampa Bay Rays are the other AL wild-card teams headed for the post-season.
Whit Merrifield stayed hot at the plate with three hits and two runs batted in on Monday night. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 32nd home run of the season, a solo shot, in the third inning. Third baseman Matt Chapman added an RBI single.
Should have moved it back further ¯_(ツ)_/¯ #PLAKATA ???? pic.twitter.com/vJy5bfNlri
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) October 3, 2022
Merrifield has seen regular playing time with Santiago Espinal on the injured list and has made the most of his opportunity. The 33-year-old veteran and two-time All-Star, acquired from the Kansas City Royals at the MLB Trade Deadline, is hitting .435/.460/.804, with four home runs and 13 RBIs in his last 15 games.
Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios went six strong innings, giving up only three hits and one earned run. He walked three and struck out five en route to his 12th win of the season.
Toronto improved to 91-69, matching last season’s win total. More importantly, the Blue Jays have already clinched a playoff spot after failing to qualify in 2021-22.
The Tampa Bay Rays lost to the Boston Red Sox, making it increasingly likely that the Blue Jays will draw the Mariners.
If the current standings remain the same, the Blue Jays will play the Mariners with home-field advantage in a best-of-three series. The Rays would play the AL Central-winning Cleveland Guardians in a similar, best-of-three series.
The Blue Jays have a 2-5 record against the Mariners this season, including a four-game Seattle sweep in July. The two teams have not played each other since.
That series and losing streak led to the eventual firing of now-former manager Charlie Montoyo and the promotion of John Schneider, who has since guided the Blue Jays to a 45-27 record.
On Friday, the Blue Jays will play their first home playoff game since a 3-0 loss to Cleveland in Game 5 of the 2016 ALCS.
With files from Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi
