The Blue Jays’ playoff hopes ended the hard way on the front end of a doubleheader, with Toronto taking a 4-2 loss to Baltimore and getting officially knocked out of the AL wild-card race.
Both clubs came in one loss away from the mathematical finish line, and Toronto got there first. The defeat made the Jays the sixth American League team and the 14th club in the majors to be eliminated from post-season contention in 2026.
The game also brought back a matchup that felt very familiar. Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer squared off again, just 11 days after their previous veteran duel, and the shape of it was similar even if the details shifted.
Bassitt has been rolling since returning from surgery to remove bone spurs from his lower back. He went on the injured list in early June, came back in mid-August, and has helped the Orioles win six of his eight starts since then. In that stretch, he has only once allowed more than three earned runs and has not gone fewer than five innings.
Scherzer has found a better rhythm lately as well. He was one Pete Alonso homer away from getting through five innings with just two runs allowed, but Alonso struck again, launching the 41st homer of his first year in an Orioles uniform.
Alonso has been a major problem for Toronto all season. He has four home runs in the last four games against the Blue Jays, though this one was his first against Scherzer, who had handled him well in many of their previous meetings.
Both starters worked five innings, but Bassitt got the cleaner result. He kept the ball in the park and avoided piling up walks, which made the difference.
Scherzer issued three walks, and two of those runners came around to score. Bassitt gave up more hits, but he did a better job limiting the damage.
One of Baltimore’s runs came on a messy sequence in the field. With Colton Cowser at third and Jeremiah Jackson at first, Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela threw to second as Jackson broke for the bag. Andres Gimenez took the throw and tried to run Jackson back toward first while still keeping an eye on Cowser halfway home, but Gimenez threw to first too soon and Cowser scored before Jackson could be tagged out.
In Other News...
Orioles Doubleheader Featured A Baseball First Few Fans Ever Expected
A quirky bit of baseball history unfolded at Camden Yards during the Blue Jays-Orioles doubleheader, when identical twins Austin and Tyler Jones became the first twins to work the same umpiring crew in a Major League Baseball game. The siblings have shared crews before in the minors, but this was their first time doing it on the sports biggest stage, a rare pairing that gave an ordinary April doubleheader a little extra texture.
Their families were there to see it, which made the moment feel even more personal in a setting usually defined by routine calls and fast pacing. For the Jones brothers, it was clearly more than a scheduling oddity, and for everyone in the park, it was the kind of baseball-first detail that tends to stick with you long after the final out. [Read more 🡒]
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Just Gave Orioles Fans More To Say About Toronto
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has made himself a familiar talking point in Baltimore over the years, and his latest comments only give Orioles fans more reason to keep one eye on Toronto. Speaking about his down season, Guerrero said his contract was built on what he had already done, not on a promise about what was still ahead, a reminder of how much weight follows a player with that kind of profile and expectation.
Guerrero did express regret about how this year unfolded, but he stood by the original remark and framed the whole situation as part of the pressure that comes with a major deal. He also said he is continuing to work hard to get better for next season, leaving the Blue Jays star with one more layer of scrutiny as Baltimore keeps tracking every turn in the division race. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fans Sent A Clear Message Despite One Worry Looming
The Orioles final home game of the season still drew a reminder of how quickly the mood around Camden Yards can shift. A rainout the day before left the stands thinner than usual for the doubleheader opener, but the second game brought back the kind of energy Baltimore fans have shown all year, with the crowd sounding more like a team still in the hunt than one wrapping up the calendar.
Pete Alonso also had the larger picture on his mind, even as the Orioles finished out their home schedule. With the leagues labor deal set to expire in December, there is already some worry about what comes next, though Alonso said he hopes negotiations are resolved without any games being lost, pointing back to the 2022 lockout as a warning sign. Craig Albernaz, meanwhile, noticed the support from the stands and had reason to appreciate it, even with the uncertainty hanging over the sport. [Read more 🡒]