The Toronto Blue Jays clinched a postseason berth with an 8-5 win versus the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday. The victory snapped a four-game losing streak for the Blue Jays and made them the first American League team to earn a playoff bid this season.
An AL East title, which would be the franchise’s first since 2015, is also within reach. Toronto (90-66) holds a two-game lead over the New York Yankees (87-68) with six games remaining in the regular season. The Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles, 7-1, on Sunday to stay alive in the division race.
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Toronto opened the scoring in the second inning with an RBI single by Andrés Giménez. That was followed by a safety squeeze bunt from Tyler Heineman that brought in another run and a run-scoring double by George Springer.
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The Royals cut their deficit to 3-2 in the fourth inning on a 2-run single from Carter Jensen. However, the Blue Jays responded in the fifth with singles by Heineman and Daulton Varsho, who were both driven in on a double by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Guerrero came around to score on a follow-up double from Addison Barger. All six Toronto runs were charged to Royals starter Michael Wacha.
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Kansas City scored two runs in the bottom of the frame on consecutive RBI singles by Maikel Garcia and Salvador Perez. The Royals then cut Toronto’s lead to 6-5 in the sixth on a triple from Jac Caglianone and pinch-hit single by Randal Grichuk. But the Blue Jays put the game away with two runs in the eighth on an Ernie Clement RBI single and Giménez triple.
Giménez and Guerrero each drove in two runs, hitting a combined 3-for-9. That was enough to overcome a rough start by Trey Yesavage, who struggled after an impressive MLB debut last Monday. The rookie allowed 4 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks in 4 innings. He only struck out 2 batters after notching 9 strikeouts in his previous start.
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The Blue Jays finish the season with a six-game homestand, hosting the Boston Red Sox (also in line for a wild-card spot at 85-70) and Tampa Bay Rays (75-80). The Yankees’ final six games are against the last-place Orioles (73-82) and Chicago White Sox (58-98).
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