Pressure is on for Blue Jays with five games left

Toronto Blue Jays fans may be stressed out by Major League Baseball's final week, but Kevin Gausman is relishing it.

TORONTO – Toronto Blue Jays fans may be stressed out by Major League Baseball’s final week, but Kevin Gausman is relishing it.

The Blue Jays lost to the Boston Red Sox 4-1 and the New York Yankees completed a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over the Chicago White Sox within 30 seconds of each other Tuesday night. That narrowed Toronto’s lead in the American League East to just one game, with five games left in the regular season, although the Blue Jays hold the tiebreaker over New York.

“It’s crazy. You play 162 games, and it always feels like it comes down to the last week, which is nuts,” said Gausman (10-11) after taking the loss for Toronto. “I don’t know how it always happens that way, but, you know, it’s exciting.

“As a player, you come to the field with a little bit different edge, knowing that every game means a little bit more.”

But seeding matters a great deal, with the top two division leaders getting a bye to the American League Division Series. The top team in the AL will have home-field advantage up to the World Series, when the National League representative will play host for the majority of games.

The Blue Jays’ magic number to clinch the pennant is still at four, meaning four Toronto wins, four Yankees losses, or a combination of both, will give them the title.

Gausman said that it’s not that he’s oblivious to the pressures of trying to win the AL East title, he just enjoys the heightened tension.

“It’s kind of hard to push it to the side,” said Gausman. “You’re walking out for the game, and (Rogers Centre is) already packed.