Blue Jays clinch post-season berth after Mariners fall to Rangers
CBC
The mood remained upbeat in the Toronto Blue Jays' clubhouse on Saturday despite a missed opportunity to clinch a playoff spot.
It helped that Toronto was still in charge of its playoff destiny. But a 7-5 loss to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays certainly increased the pressure with one day left in the regular season.
The worries subsided when the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 6-1 later Saturday to ensure the Jays would be in the playoffs.
"It's hectic, it's stressful and all that kind of stuff, but this is why you play," said Blue Jays manager John Schneider following Toronto's loss. "This is why you play 162 [games]. We're actually doing it. We're playing 162 for a reason. It's exciting, it's up and down, back and forth, all that kind of stuff.
"But at the end of the day we control our own fate, so that part of it feels really good."
The Blue Jays will open a best-of-three playoff series on Tuesday at Minnesota or Tampa Bay.
The Blue Jays' last post-season victory came in 2016 when they reached the American League Championship Series for a second straight year.
Toronto won World Series titles in 1992 and 1993.
Tampa Bay's Taylor Walls hit a two-run single off Jordan Hicks in the 10th inning to silence the sellout crowd of 42,097 at Rogers Centre. The Rays added another run on Junior Caminero's infield single.
Chris Devenski (6-4) gave up an RBI double to Bo Bichette in the bottom half before getting Kevin Kiermaier on a groundout as Toronto's magic number to clinch remained at one.
"We're kind of just going out there and trying to cause some chaos right now," said Rays right-fielder Josh Lowe. "It's pretty fun."
Harold Ramirez homered for the Rays (98-63), who outhit Toronto 14-7.
Daulton Varsho homered and drove in three runs for the Blue Jays. Starter Hyun Jin Ryu lasted a season-low three innings.
"I think they were really focused on trying to get contact and because of that they were able to get some hard contact at times," Ryu said via an interpreter. "That probably happened because my command wasn't there."
Cole Reschny tuned into the world junior hockey championship with his family growing up.
On the ice inside a rink in Etobicoke, Ont., where Team Canada was running its second Olympic training camp this past fall, head coach Troy Ryan skated over to Blayre Turnbull.
Canadian ski jumper Abi Strate started the new year with a bang by soaring to her first career World Cup victory on Thursday.
It’s been nearly 12 years since an Olympic gold medal was placed around Sidney Crosby’s neck.