The Toronto Blue Jays look to bounce back after a tough week. The Jays got swept by the New York Yankees last week and lost two out of three to the Philidelphia Phillies. If the season ended today the Blue Jays would be the eighth seed and face the first seeded Tampa Bay Rays. So even after a week where the team won just one game, they are still in the playoff picture and are also floating above .500. The Blue Jays need to righten their ship and stop this downward fall before it is too late. Their magic number is four, with seven games left.
The Yankees
The New York Yankees are a team that the Blue Jays need to beat and end their losing ways. Beating the Yankees would surely give the Blue Jays some confidence during their playoff push. New York now has no players on the ten-day injured list, for the first time this season. Beating the Yankees always feels good, but beating them at full strength would be even better. They will once again face Masahiro Tanaka and Gerrit Cole. If the Blue Jays can compete with these two they can go toe to toe with just about anyone in the league.
The other half of the battle against the Yankees is keeping their bats in check. New York has two players that are having MVP caliber years. DJ LeMahieu and Luke Voit have both been the heart and soul of this squad. Through thick and thin the Yankees have depended on these two bats to keep them afloat. They also have a former MVP in Giancarlo Stanton and another MVP caliber player in Aaron Judge. The Yankees are one of the better teams on paper, and now that they are fully operational the Blue Jays have some competition.
The Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles have been a surprise team this year. After finishing 54-108 last season a lot of teams did not expect the Orioles to make as big a leap as they did this year that they did. Baltimore shocked the world and competed all season They are now just 4.5 games back from a wildcard spot with one week left to play. John Means has been dealing this year and will face the Blue Jays in the final series of the season. Their ace had a rough start to the season but has certainly settled in. Sunday he struck out 12, which ties the club record. Means is another pitcher that the Blue Jays will have to beat in what could potentially be a crucial game for the Jays.
Rough Skids Are Part of the Game
Every team has their ups and downs throughout the season. The Toronto Blue Jays seem to be getting all of their losing out of their system before the playoffs start. The only problem is that the losing ways also need to stop now in order for them to avoid squandering their season. Manager Charlie Montoyo after being swept by the Yankees agreed that losing is part of the game’s ups and downs. Teams need to get hot at the right time and they can make a run much like the Washington Nationals did last year. However, with this season and the expanded playoffs, there will be more teams and a larger chance for craziness and upsets. In a shortened year, it is crucial to correct losing skids and fast. The Blue Jays have no off days and come down the final stretch in a win-now situation.
#BlueJays manager Charlie Montoyo after the sweep:
"It’s fine. We’re fine. We won nine straight series or tied. We had a bad series. That happens."
— Keegan Matheson (@KeeganMatheson) September 18, 2020
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