The Toronto Blue Jays could be eliminated from the playoff race as early as Tuesday.
That fate hangs over the Blue Jays after they lost 4-3 to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday.
The loss dropped the Blue Jays 3.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox for the third wild-card spot in the American League, with five games to go. The Blue Jays will be eliminated on Tuesday with a loss to the Orioles, a White Sox win over the Royals and a Guardians win over the Red Sox.
The Blue Jays were the only team in the playoff race in action on Monday. Here is how the standings sit after Monday's action:
Toronto: at Baltimore, 6:35 p.m., Sportsnet, Sportsnet+
Cleveland: at Boston, 6:45 p.m.
Chicago White Sox: at Kansas City, 7:40 p.m., Sportsnet+
Texas: vs. NY Mets, 8:05 p.m.
Houston: at Seattle, 9:40 p.m.
ORIOLES 4, BLUE JAYS 3
BALTIMORE — Pete Alonso homered twice, including a two-run shot in the eighth inning that lifted the Baltimore Orioles to a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.
The Orioles are on the verge of elimination in the American League wild-card race, but Alonso has been terrific in his first season with the team. He has 40 home runs — the fourth time he's reached that mark in a season — and he's opened a nine-RBI lead on Triple Crown hopeful Yordan Alvarez of Houston.
In fact, Alonso might be the one who ends up leading the AL in homers and RBIs. He's one home run behind Tampa Bay slugger Junior Caminero.
The Blue Jays brought in submarine right-hander Tyler Rogers (2-3) to face Alonso, who became just the second right-handed hitter to homer off him over the last two seasons.
Yennier Cano (4-3) won in relief for the Orioles, and Rico Garcia worked a perfect ninth for his 10th save.
Nathan Lukes and George Springer hit RBI singles during Toronto's three-run first inning, but the Blue Jays fell 3 1/2 games behind the idle Chicago White Sox for the final wild card in the AL.
Trey Yesavage returned to the mound for the Blue Jays after knee inflammation sent him to the injured list in early August. He pitched only two innings, allowing a home run to Alonso in the first.
Gunnar Henderson homered in the sixth for the Orioles and finished a double shy of the cycle.
After the start was delayed 47 minutes because of rain, the first four Toronto batters reached base. Shane Baz was called for a pitch-clock violation with the count full to Brett Bateman. Then he issued another walk to Alejandro Kirk on a debatable checked-swing call.
Lukes and Springer followed with hits to make it 2-0. A sacrifice fly by Sean Keys brought home another run.
Baz held Toronto scoreless after that and made it through 6 2/3 innings.
Bateman left the game with a hip injury after making a sliding catch in center field in the second. X-rays were negative.
TIGERS 9, NATIONALS 2
DETROIT — River Ryan was outstanding in his Detroit debut and the Tigers hit three home runs to rout the Washington Nationals 9-2 on Monday night, one day after being eliminated from the American League playoff race.
Ryan, acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Tarik Skubal trade, pitched three scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Ryan is expected to start again in the season finale Sunday — the day after Justin Verlander is scheduled to make his final major league start.
Keider Montero (10-9) pitched four scoreless innings in relief of Ryan.
Washington starter DJ Herz (0-1) made his first big league appearance in nearly two years. Herz, who had Tommy John surgery in April 2025, pitched four innings, allowing four runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four.
The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the first. Gleyber Torres walked, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a ground-rule double from Hao-Yu Lee. After Herz got the first out, Eduardo Valencia singled to left field, with Lee scoring when James Wood misplayed the ball for an error.
Javier Báez made it 4-0 in the fourth, hitting his third homer of the season over the Tigers bullpen in left to bring home Dillon Dingler.
Detroit added five more runs in the fifth, three on Ben Malgeri's fourth homer and two on Spencer Torkelson's 25th.
That made it 9-0, but Yohandy Morales hit a two-run homer to get the Nationals on the scoreboard in the eighth.
The Tigers announced before the game that, due to a bank merger, Comerica Park will be known as Fifth Third Park starting in 2027. That's the same name as the stadium for the Toledo Mud Hens, Detroit's Triple-A team.
GIANTS 5, TWINS 2
SAN FRANCISCO — Drew Gilbert homered and hit a two-run single, leading the San Francisco Giants past the Minnesota Twins 5-2 on Monday night to snap a three-game losing streak.
Brett Harris singled in a pair of runs for San Francisco in the first inning and Gilbert did the same in the second before leading off the fifth with his 11th homer.
Brooks Lee homered to begin the fourth against Giants starter Blade Tidwell, who exited after one more batter because of elbow discomfort. He will undergo tests Tuesday.
Tidwell was coming off his first win with the Giants and second of his career last time out at St. Louis.
Tristan Beck (1-0) relieved and pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings for the win. Trent Harris worked the ninth for his second save.
Bo Davidson had his first career hit and stolen base in the first — becoming the first Giants player to get a hit and steal a base in his major league debut since Red Tramback on Sept. 15, 1940.
The Giants opened their season-ending homestand, which concludes against the rival Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend, with their third victory in 10 games. They were swept by the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers last weekend in Los Angeles.
Emmanuel Rodríguez homered in the eighth for the Twins.
Minnesota right-hander Zebby Matthews (9-11) struck out nine — his second-most this season behind 10 on July 31 at Seattle — and didn't walk a batter. He allowed five runs and eight hits over five innings.
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