Toronto’s Playoff Push Hinges on One More Win

The Blue Jays have a real chance to keep their postseason hopes moving forward when they meet the Athletics in the last game of their three-game set on Wednesday afternoon.

Toronto enters at 73-73, just one game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the final American League wild-card spot. With 16 games left, there is very little margin for error.

The finale is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET and 12:05 p.m. PT at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. Fans in Canada can watch on Sportsnet.

How Toronto Bounced Back After a Tough Start

The series opened badly for the Blue Jays, who saw defensive mistakes contribute to a 6-5 defeat on Monday. They steadied themselves the next night and earned a 4-2 win to even the matchup.

The pitching plan on Tuesday worked far better than the one used in the opener. Toronto asked only two pitchers to cover the game, a major contrast from Monday, when six arms were needed to get through the loss.

That extra rest for the bullpen could matter a great deal in the finale. A victory would give Toronto its fourth straight series win and help preserve the momentum it has built during a critical stretch.

• The Blue Jays are trying to stay within reach of the wild-card chase.
• Toronto avoided a series hole by winning Tuesday’s game.
• Fresh bullpen options could be a major advantage on Wednesday.

Braydon Fisher Starts the Game as an Opener

Toronto will hand the ball first to Braydon Fisher, who is making his ninth start of the season but has mostly worked out of the bullpen.

Fisher has posted a 3.20 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP over 70.1 innings, while striking out 68 hitters. The 26-year-old has also put together five straight scoreless outings.

He has already handled the Athletics well this year, retiring every batter he faced in two March appearances that covered 2.1 combined innings.

Because Fisher is being used as an opener, manager John Schneider will likely need several relievers to finish the job. Toronto’s lighter workload from Tuesday makes that approach more manageable.

Brady Basso Brings a Short-Outing Profile for Oakland

The Athletics will counter with left-hander Brady Basso, who is also not expected to work deep into the game.

Basso is 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP across 33.1 innings. He has made four starts this season, and none of them has gone beyond three innings.

That setup points to a game where bullpen depth may matter more than a starter’s ability to pitch long into the afternoon. Late matchup decisions could easily decide which side comes out on top.

Toronto will also be trying to capitalize on an Oakland club that sits at 58-88 and owns one of the worst run differentials in baseball. Even so, the Athletics already proved they can slow down the Blue Jays by taking the first game of the series.

Okamoto’s Power Keeps Standing Out

Kazuma Okamoto has continued to deliver pop in his first season in the majors.

He homered in each of the first two games against Oakland, and his solo blast on Tuesday was his 30th of the year. That made him the first Blue Jays rookie to reach the 30-homer mark.

Okamoto also became only the fifth Japanese player to hit at least 30 home runs in a single MLB season. For Toronto, that production has quickly turned him into one of the lineup’s most important threats.

Josh Smith added to the offense Tuesday as well, launching a solo homer right before Okamoto. It was Smith’s fifth long ball since joining the Blue Jays.

• Okamoto has homered in both games against the Athletics so far.
• His 30th homer set a franchise rookie milestone.
• Smith’s fifth homer with Toronto also came in the same game.

The Wild-Card Race Gets Tighter Every Day

Toronto’s latest win pulled the club back to .500 and kept it one game behind Cleveland in the wild-card chase. The Blue Jays cannot clinch anything in this series, but losing ground to a struggling opponent would make the road ahead much steeper.

The schedule after this stop in California is just as important. Following Thursday’s off day, Toronto returns home for six games against the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers, two more teams that remain in the crowded playoff race.

For now, though, the focus stays on Wednesday’s finale. A win would give Toronto another series victory and send the club home with its postseason hopes still fully alive.