After dropping Friday's series opener 20-1 to the Kansas City Royals, the Toronto Blue Jays can erase any memory of the drubbing on Saturday as they are back in position to punch their ticket to the playoffs.
Toronto entered the day with two pathways to secure its spot, but after the Atlanta Braves completed a ninth-inning comeback to down the Detroit Tigers earlier in the afternoon, the formula couldn't be simpler for the Blue Jays.
Win and they're in.
The Blue Jays will clinch a post-season position with a victory over the Royals, and you can watch the game on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+, beginning at 7:10 p.m. ET / 4:10 p.m. PT.
Shane Bieber will take the mound for Toronto opposite Noah Cameron in Saturday's decisive game, looking to build off his six-inning outing against the Baltimore Orioles, in which he allowed just four hits and one run.
Toronto entered the day with the ability to clinch if they won and one of Detroit (vs. Atlanta), Boston Red Sox (at Tampa Bay) or Cleveland Guardians (at Minnesota) lost. The Blue Jays could have also clinched without a win if the Tigers and Red Sox lost and if the Guardians dropped both games of their doubleheader against the Twins.
However, with Detroit losing and Cleveland winning in Game 1, all eyes will be on the Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium tonight.
If the Jays get in, it will mark the first time that they have appeared in the post-season since 2023, when they were downed by the Minnesota Twins during the wild-card round.
The Blue Jays shouldn't take their foot off the gas, however, since the AL East divisional title — and a first-round bye — is still on the table. After the Baltimore Orioles beat the New York Yankees on Friday, Toronto's magic number to clinch the division stands at five.
