Make or break for the Blue Jays

The Toronto Blue Jays’ next series, against the Baltimore Orioles, could be decisive for the rest of the game, because at present, it’s the only Canadian team in Major League Baseball not to appear in the playoff picture.

Those three games against Maryland are a thorn in the side of Toronto (69-56) who just won two of their three games against the Cincinnati Reds. The Orioles (77-47) are #1 in the American League East Division standings and have won eight of their ten games against the Jays this season.

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They will not have the right to make mistakes against the Orioles (77-47). If a team doesn’t sweep the series, the gates to the playoffs won’t be too many. The most likely option for the Jays is to qualify as a draft team, given that the Tampa Bay Rays (75-51) are also ahead by a wide margin.

Toronto is half a game behind the Seattle Mariners and one game behind the Houston Astros, who occupy the bottom two places in the playoffs. So John Schneider’s men must score as many victories as possible in order to give themselves some leeway. The Boston Red Sox (66-58) will also be in the prime of the race.

“Every game is critical and we’re looking toward the recruiting point,” designated hitter Davis Schneider told Sportsnet after Saturday’s 4-3 victory. You have to consider every day as the last, because every match is important, especially in August. These are the toughest days, everyone is tired, but you have to push and hope to get out of it.

Great panic

In Sunday’s 10-3 win over the Reds, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left the game after pinching his finger while swinging. However, Schneider, the head coach of the Blue Jays, seemed reassured about the health of his star.

His health is re-evaluated daily, and he is expected to recover without many consequences.

The Blue Jays will really need all of their offensive arsenal to pull off three wins in Baltimore. That’s a good thing, as Bo Bichette, who got back into the game during the series against the Reds, was stellar Sunday with a home run and two RBIs.

Sneijder was also eloquent about the importance of the shortstop to his club after the match.

“Beau has been out for two weeks and will be back with three,” he said. It’s Bo’s usual home run to the opposite field. I think this is very good for men.”

Yusei Kikuchi (9-4) is expected to be the starting pitcher for the Jays on Tuesday. He is expected to face Grayson Rodriguez (3-3) for the Orioles.