The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Kansas City Royals on Friday night 9-2 to get back to .500 for the first time since June 22.
The Blue Jays are in a fight for their lives right now as they try to win the third Wild Card spot in the American League.
By defeating Kansas City on Friday with a 9-2 score, they improved to 71-71 on the season, the first time the club has been .500 since June 22, when they were 39-39.
Blue Jays on a Roll
Toronto has been red hot as of late, having won six of their last seven games overall to stay within 1 GB of the Cleveland Guardians for the third and final AL Wild Card spot.
At the MLB trade deadline, it seemed like the Blue Jays were essentially dead in the water, and they traded away former ace Kevin Gausman, center fielder Daulton Varsho, and others for futures.
However, they took a hybrid approach to the trade deadline and also picked up players such as Jose Soriano and Josh Smith, who have been very helpful for the team in the second half of the season.
The Blue Jays also picked up Brett Bateman in the Gausman trade, which turned out to be an amazing trade for Toronto, as Bateman has essentially become the team’s leadoff hitter and starting center fielder.
Blue Jays Still Need Help
As good as the Blue Jays are playing, however, the team still needs help right now in the standings.
The Cleveland Guardians and Texas Rangers are essentially neck-and-neck with Toronto right now, while the Baltimore Orioles aren’t far behind. You also can’t completely count out the Minnesota Twins and the Seattle Mariners just yet.
If the Blue Jays keep up their winning ways, they will have a terrific chance of winning the third Wild Card spot, but it’s not going to be easy. The team cannot let their foot off the gas, as it will be a race to the finish.
The good news for Toronto is that they are so hot right now that, if they do make the playoffs, they’ll be a dangerous team.
Blue Jays Claw Back to .500 for 1st Time Since June 22