The Toronto Blue Jays head into Wednesday afternoon with a chance to keep their postseason hopes moving in the right direction when they close out a three-game set against the Athletics. With the American League wild-card race still crowded, this game carries real weight for Toronto’s September run.
Toronto sits at 73-73 and is one game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the last playoff spot in the American League. Only 16 games remain, so every win matters far more than it would earlier in the season.
The finale is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET and 12:05 p.m. PT at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. Canadian viewers can watch the game on Sportsnet.
A Bounce-Back Win Put Toronto Back on Track
The Blue Jays opened the series with a frustrating 6-5 loss on Monday after defensive problems helped tilt the game away from them. They answered the next night with a much cleaner performance, defeating the Athletics 4-2 to even the set.
José Soriano gave Toronto exactly the kind of start it needed. He went seven innings and gave up only two solo home runs, while Spencer Miles handled the final two frames to finish the job.
That shortened workload was a major bonus for Toronto’s pitching staff. After using six pitchers in the series opener, the club needed a steadier outing on Tuesday so its bullpen could recover before the finale.
Here are the immediate takeaways for Toronto entering Wednesday:
- A fourth straight series win is still within reach.
- The bullpen should be in better shape after Soriano’s long outing.
- Another victory would help keep the club’s playoff momentum intact.
Braydon Fisher Gets the Opener Assignment
Toronto is expected to begin the game with Braydon Fisher, who will make his ninth start of the year even though most of his work has come in relief. The Blue Jays are clearly planning to piece together the game rather than lean on one starter for a long stretch.
Fisher has posted a 3.20 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP across 70.1 innings, and he has struck out 68 hitters. The 26-year-old is also riding a run of five straight scoreless appearances, which gives Toronto some confidence in his ability to start the game cleanly.
He has already faced the Athletics twice in March and retired every batter he saw over 2.1 combined innings. That previous success makes him a sensible choice for an opener in a game that may turn into a bullpen contest quickly.
Because Fisher is unlikely to work deep, John Schneider will need several relievers to cover the rest of the night. Toronto’s improved bullpen availability after Tuesday’s game should make that task more manageable.
Oakland Will Try to Turn It Into a Relief Battle
The Athletics are set to counter with left-hander Brady Basso, another pitcher who is not expected to log many innings. He enters the game with a 1-2 record, a 4.32 ERA, and a 1.41 WHIP over 33.1 innings.
Basso has made four starts this season, but none of them has gone beyond three innings. That creates a strong chance that both teams will depend heavily on their bullpens and late-game matchups to decide the result.
Toronto has obvious reasons to target this opponent. The Athletics are 58-88 and own one of the worst run differentials in baseball, yet they have already proven they can damage the Blue Jays by taking the opener of this series.
The matchup should reward whichever side handles the middle innings better. If Toronto keeps the game controlled early, its offense has enough power to pressure a vulnerable Oakland staff.
Okamoto Keeps Delivering Impact Power
Kazuma Okamoto continues to be one of Toronto’s most important run producers in his first major league season. He homered in both of the first two games of the series and reached a major milestone with his solo shot on Tuesday.
That blast was his 30th of the season, making him the first Blue Jays rookie ever to reach that mark. It also moved him into rare company as only the fifth Japanese player to hit 30 home runs in a single MLB season.
Josh Smith added to the damage on Tuesday with a solo homer of his own just before Okamoto connected. It was Smith’s fifth home run since joining the Blue Jays.
Toronto’s recent offense has been fueled by timely power, and Okamoto’s production has become a central part of that surge.
The Wild-Card Picture Leaves Little Margin for Error
Toronto’s Tuesday win pulled the club back to .500 and kept it one game out of the final wild-card position. The Blue Jays cannot clinch a playoff berth in this series, but losing ground to a last-place opponent would make the road much tougher.
The schedule only gets more demanding from here. After Thursday’s off day, Toronto returns home for six games against the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers, two more teams involved in the same crowded race.
A win on Wednesday would do more than secure another series victory. It would also send the Blue Jays home with momentum and keep their September chase alive as the pressure rises.
