Buster Olney Says Blue Jays Game Today Still Matters In AL Race
Blue jays game today still carries weight because Toronto is five games under.500 and only 10.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East after a 7-6 loss to the New York Yankees. Buster Olney said the standings are compressed enough that the Blue Jays are still in the race.
Olney Sees A Tight AL
Olney pointed to the third wild-card spot, saying three teams were within two and a half games of it. He called the American League wide open and said Toronto can keep pushing if it gets pieces back from the injured list.
“The Blue Jays, with all that they’re going through, three teams are all within two and a half games of the third wild-card spot. It’s incredible how wide open the American League is,” he said on Tuesday morning. He added, “It’s certainly a difficult situation that you see in the National League where teams are buried now. Not in the American League. In the American League, for the Blue Jays, today is another day. And you can pick yourself up and figure it out as long as they get these guys back from the injured list.”
Toronto’s Late Collapse
Monday night turned on the seventh inning. Toronto took a 5-3 lead into that frame, then Yariel Rodriguez allowed a pair of two-run home runs and the Yankees pulled out the 7-6 win. That left the Blue Jays five games under.500 and still searching for steadier pitching.
Olney said the club needed Alejandro Kirk back and needed some of the pitching to settle down, noting the bullpen issues that have followed Toronto this year. Kirk remains on track in his recovery from a fractured thumb, which gives the lineup one possible piece to regain soon.
George Springer gave Toronto one bright note in the loss. He went 2-for-5 and hit his first home run since March 30 after missing time from April 11 to April 29 with a fractured toe.
Springer’s First Power Since March 30
Springer is still hitting.186/.272/.294 on the season, so the home run mattered as more than a box score line. Olney said, “Springer hitting the home run last night, maybe that jumpstarts him,” and Toronto could use that kind of production while the race stays tight.
The Blue Jays were 23-24 through 47 games at this point last year and sat one game back of the final wild-card spot then. This year’s path looks similar in the sense that the record is still a problem, but the standings around Toronto remain close enough to keep the postseason door open.
