It hasn’t been pretty down in Texas, and the Blue Jays may have reached the point in their season where they not only can’t afford to lose but are also going to need a whole lot of help to sneak into the final wild-card spot in the American League.
uncertain
they → reach → League
For a while there, they were keeping pace with the rest of the combatants in what’s been a season-long turtle race, winning when their opponents won and losing when they lost.
asserted
they → keep → combatants
But over the past few days, those other teams have started to win and the Jays have not.
asserted
Jays → start → days
Saturday’s 6-2 loss in Texas, in combination with Houston’s 6-3 loss at home to the Atlanta Braves, moved the Rangers into first place in the AL West and dropped the Astros into the chase for the wild-card spot where, along with everybody else, they’re looking up at the White Sox.
asserted
they → move → Sox
Sunday’s series finale is a bullpen game for Toronto, with Spencer Arrighetti expected to pitch the bulk of the innings.
asserted
Arrighetti → expect → innings
The Rangers will go with borderline Hall of Famer Jacob deGrom, who has thrown six and seven innings of one-hit shutout in two of his last four starts.
asserted
who → go → starts
Everyone kinda stinks, including the Blue Jays.
asserted
Everyone → stink → Jays
But recently, the Jays can find the team that has done the most harm to their post-season chances by looking in the mirror.
asserted
that → find → mirror
Here’s how the race stacks up after Saturday’s games:
asserted
race → ’ → games
6
Who owns the tiebreaker?
asserted
Who → own → tiebreaker
Sox righty Sean Burke outduelled Detroit’s Jackson Jobe in Chicago, allowing one run on five hits over six innings, while his offence did just enough in a 3-1 win.
asserted
offence → outduelle → win
Miguel Vargas, who had 29 career home runs in parts of three seasons going into this year, belted his 33rd of the campaign in the win.
asserted
who → have → win
The series wraps Sunday, with the Tigers looking to earn a four-game split behind right-hander Troy Melton, who got knocked out of his last start — in Toronto — in the third inning.
asserted
who → wrap → inning
The White Sox will start right-hander Davis Martin, who has gone 14 starts without picking up a win.
asserted
who → start → win
Games left: 7
Home (4): Tigers (1), Rockies (3)
Away (3): Royals (3)
Houston Astros
(77-78, one game ahead of Toronto)
How scary are they?
asserted
they → leave → Toronto
Who owns the tiebreaker?
asserted
Who → own → tiebreaker
Houston and Toronto split their season series.
asserted
Houston → split → series
Need to know: The Astros were poised to hang onto top spot in the AL West, leading Atlanta 2-1 in the top of the seventh inning, but Ronald Acuna Jr. blasted a two-out grand slam to put the Braves on top for good and knock the Astros into this lower tier.
asserted
Jr. → need → tier
The series — and Houston’s home schedule — wraps up Sunday with the Astros trying to stave off a sweep.
asserted
Astros → wrap → sweep
They’ll go with their ace, right-hander Hunter Brown, against Atlanta lefty Martin Perez.
asserted
They → go → Perez
Games left: 7
Home (1): Braves (1)
Road (6): Mariners (2), Athletics (4)
Communities in Toronto and South Korea are rallying behind the Jays’ rising star who grabbed the
Blue Jays
(76-79)
asserted
who → leave → Jays
Need to know: Perhaps the climb back was just too much for the Blue Jays.
asserted
climb → need → Jays
After falling to 49-59, the Jays went 23-12 over a 35-game stretch to get back up over .500, but since then they’ve lost eight of 12 and are now barely hanging on in the race for a post-season berth.
asserted
they → fall → berth
Saturday’s sloppy loss, another of so many this season in which they just couldn’t get anything going offensively, has put them on the verge of getting swept by the Rangers in their season series.
asserted
anything → get → series
So far, they’re 0-6 against Texas.
asserted
they → ’re → Texas
That ineptitude looms awfully large when you see that a split of those games would have them in a playoff spot right now.
asserted
them → loom → spot
Games left: 7
Home (3): Reds (3)
Road (4): Rangers (1), Orioles (3)
Baltimore Orioles
(75-80, one game behind Toronto)
How scary are they?
asserted
they → leave → Toronto
Who owns the tiebreaker?
asserted
Who → own → tiebreaker
Toronto leads 6-4 with three games left.
asserted
Toronto → lead → games
Synopsis: The Orioles’ season is on the brink as they head into the finale of their home series against Milwaukee.
asserted
they → head → Milwaukee
The Brewers are looking for a sweep having won each of the first two games by one run.
asserted
Brewers → look → run
Saturday, that one run was the only one scored in the game and it happened because of a routine fly ball lost in the sun by O’s right-fielder Rece Hinds that wound up a Joey Ortiz triple.
asserted
that → score → triple
Milwaukee goes for a franchise-record 98th win of the season with National League Cy Young favourite Jacob Misiorowski on the mound against Baltimore righty Brandon Young, who is looking for his 10th win of the season.
asserted
who → go → season
The Aporia
