Toronto Blue Jays clinch playoff spot with Orioles' loss to Red Sox
The Toronto Blue Jays locked up a playoff spot Thursday afternoon without taking the field, securing a berth when the Boston Red Sox defeated the Baltimore Orioles 5-3.
Canada's lone big-league team got the good news on an off-day ahead of Friday's series opener against the visiting Red Sox.
With downtime valuable during the stretch drive, the team was expected to celebrate the accomplishment after the series opener against the Red Sox.
It will be Toronto's first post-season appearance since the truncated 2020 campaign. With six games left to play, the Blue Jays can now turn their focus to playoff positioning.
"These guys are excited to be in this position," Blue Jays manager John Schneider said after Wednesday's 8-3 loss to the New York Yankees. "You've got three really good pitchers lined up against a good Boston team, playing at home.
"So I think it's more excitement more than it's nerves or anything. I think the guys are going to come out and be ready to roll on Friday night."
If Toronto maintains its grip on the first of three American League wild-card seeds, then the Blue Jays would play at Rogers Centre for the best-of-three first-round series.
The second- and third-seeded wild-card teams would open on the road.
It's part of a new Major League Baseball playoff format this year. The top two division winners in each league get byes to the division series.
The third-ranked division winner will host the third wild-card seed (No. 6 seed overall) in one wild-card series and the top wild-card entry (No. 4 seed overall) welcomes the second wild-card seed (No. 5 overall) in the other.
Toronto has a 1 1/2-game lead on the Mariners after Seattle defeated the Texas Rangers 10-9 on Thursday night. The Blue Jays also hold a two-game edge on the Tampa Bay Rays, who fell 2-1 to the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday.
The Yankees have already clinched the East Division title.
Toronto was swept by the Rays in the wild-card series in 2020. It was the Blue Jays' first playoff appearance since 2016.
Toronto won World Series titles in 1992 and 1993.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 29, 2022.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6977485.1721935249!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
LIVE UPDATES Rain reduces wildfire activity, aids firefighters: Jasper park officials
Jasper National Park officials said Thursday night that rain over the day resulted in "minimal fire behaviour and spread."
Canadian Olympic Committee removes women's soccer team's head coach over drone scandal
The Canadian Olympic Committee has removed women's national soccer team head coach Bev Priestman over a drone scandal, according to a press release from the organization.
Yukon woman narrowly escapes bear attack, credits hair clip
A woman in Yukon believes her hair clip helped save her during a bear attack.
Prince William's 2023 salary revealed in new report
Newly released financial reports show that William, the Prince of Wales, drew a salary of $42.1 million last fiscal year, his first since inheriting the vast and lucrative Duchy of Cornwall.
'I was just shocked': Jasper lodge owner on seeing property destroyed by wildfire
On Wednesday night, the owner of Maligne Lodge in Jasper, Alta., was shocked to receive a photo of her business engulfed in flames.
Mary-Ellen Turpel-Lafond likely has Indigenous DNA: report
The Law Society of British Columbia says a DNA test shows a former judge and Order of Canada recipient accused of falsely claiming to be Cree "most likely" has Indigenous heritage.
U.S. authorities have arrested 'El Mayo' Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel
Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, a son of another infamous cartel leader, were arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas on Thursday, the U.S. Justice Department said.
Harris pushes Netanyahu to ease suffering in Gaza: 'I will not be silent'
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to help reach a Gaza ceasefire deal that would ease the suffering of Palestinian civilians, striking a tougher tone than President Joe Biden.
'She led it the whole way': 18-year-old B.C. woman leads hikers to safety in Jasper National Park
As fire threatened people in Jasper National Park, Colleen Knull sprung into action.