After consecutive losses against the Texas Rangers, the Blue Jays have their backs against the wall.
After consecutive losses against the Texas Rangers over the weekend, the playoff chances for the Toronto Blue Jays are now down to 4.7 percent, according to Fangraphs.
It's been a dreadful week for the Blue Jays, who lost two-of-three to the under .500 Detroit Tigers before winning on Wednesday, and now they've lost both games to Texas - with both Dylan Cease and Jose Soriano on the mound.
Here's what's facing the Blue Jays entering play on Sunday, and what fans need to be paying attention to around the league.
The battle for the third wild card spot
--The Chicago White Sox currently have the third wild card spot with a record of 79-76.
--The White Sox are now two games ahead of the Houston Astros, who have fallen out of first place in the American League West.
--The Blue Jays are three games behind the White Sox, but since they don't have the tiebreaker over Chicago, they are effectively four games back.
| Team | Record | GB |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago White Sox | 79-76 | 0 |
| Houston Astros | 77-78 | 2 |
| Blue Jays | 76-79 | 3 |
Other news and notes to think about
1) The Cleveland Guardians lead the White Sox by one game in the American League Central. Should those teams fall back into a tie, the White Sox have the tiebreaker over Cleveland and would assume the top spot. That would push Cleveland back into the wild card race, which is good for the Blue Jays, because they have the tiebreaker over them.
However, the Blue Jays are still four games behind Cleveland right now with seven to play. That's a lot of ground to cover.
2) The Blue Jays still also have to pass the Astros in the race. They went 3-3 against Houston this year, so the tiebreaker there is not decided yet.
3) Should the Rangers end up back in the wild card mix, the Blue Jays do not have the tiebreaker over them, adding another layer of problems.
Around baseball on Sunday
--The Blue Jays and Rangers will play at 2:35 p.m. ET with right-hander Spencer Miles serving as the opener for the Jays. He'll be opposed by former Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom.
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Spencer Miles (62) delivers a pitch against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning at Rogers Centre. Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images--The White Sox and Tigers will play at 2:10 p.m. ET as Davis Martin (CWS) pitches against Troy Melton (DET).
--The Guardians and Athletics will play at 1:40 p.m. ET with Jack Perkins (ATH) against Gavin Williams (CLE).
--The Astros and Braves will play at 2:10 p.m. ET with Hunter Brown (HOU) against Martin Perez (ATL).
