The Toronto Blue Jays‘ record fell to 45-52 after Friday night’s 12-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
After the game, Blue Jays manager John Schneider provided an honest take on Toronto’s postseason chances.
Toronto Blue Jays’ John Schneider Gives Honest Playoff Assessment After White Sox Loss
Because the American League is so weak this season, the Blue Jays are still in postseason contention despite being seven games under .500.
Winning the AL East is likely out of the conversation for the Blue Jays, who trail the first-place Tampa Bay Rays by 11 1/2 games. However, Toronto is just 3 1/2 games back of the Minnesota Twins (49-49) and Boston Red Sox (48-48) for the third American League Wild Card spot.
“[The weak AL] helps us,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said to SportsNet’s Shi Davidi. “We haven’t played as well or as consistently as we wanted to and if it wasn’t still attainable, it would be a different vibe in here, coming off of last year. So the league, kind of thankful it is where it is, that there are still some realistic chances of getting in the postseason. That’s why we play.”
Blue Jays Lose 12-4 To White Sox
The White Sox went up 5-0 in the second inning. Kyle Teel hit an RBI double off right-hander Spencer Miles to make the score 1-0. Braden Montgomery reached on a fielder’s choice to increase the White Sox’s lead to 2-0, then Chase Meidroth added another run on an RBI single.
Sam Antonacci capped off the scoring in the frame with a two-run home run off Miles.
Toronto got back within striking distance, as George Spring drove in one on a groundout in the third inning before Luis Urías hit a solo shot in the fourth to make the score 5-2.
The White Sox answered back almost immediately, as Colson Montgomery hit a bases-clearing double in the fifth inning, increasing Chicago’s lead to 8-2.
Springer hit a solo shot in the fifth inning, and Brandon Valenzeula hit one in the fifth, but that ended up being all the scoring in the matchup for Toronto.
The White Sox put the game out of reach in the seventh, with Braden Montgomery hitting a bases-clearing triple before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Tristan Peters, making the score 12-4.
Toronto Blue Jays’ John Schneider Gives Honest Playoff Take After White Sox Loss