The Blue Jays are down to the kind of stretch where every game feels like a hand-grenade with the pin halfway out. They’ve climbed back into the fight since the All-Star break, only to slip to 73-75 at exactly the wrong time, and now they enter game two against the Baltimore Orioles needing a response.
Toronto still has a path to the postseason, but the margin is tight. FanGraphs gives the Blue Jays a 25.7% shot to make the playoffs before first pitch, and that route runs only through an AL Wild Card berth. They’re two games back of the final Wild Card spot, which means the standings can turn on them quickly if they don’t start stacking wins.
That’s why the seven runs allowed in the series opener stung so badly. If the Blue Jays are going to keep pace, that kind of result won’t cut it, especially with Baltimore closing in on Toronto in the AL East picture.
Spencer Miles gets the ball in game two with a chance to keep the series alive and push things to Sunday. He hasn’t allowed a run in September, has worked 4.1 scoreless innings this month, and carries a 12-game scoreless streak.
The last time he gave up runs was against the Philadelphia Phillies on Aug. 8.
Behind him, John Schneider is rolling out a lineup that mixes familiar middle-order names with a notable debut. The Blue Jays’ order is set to go Brett Bateman in center field, George Springer at designated hitter, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base, Alejandro Kirk behind the plate, Nathan Lukes in right field, Kazuma Okamoto at third, Josh Smith at second, Andres Gimenez at shortstop, and Rudy Martin Jr. in left field.
Martin’s first major league start comes after a long road. He told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson that he never expected this moment, especially after being DFA’d multiple times.
“This is the last place I expected to be," Martin told Matheson via X (formerly Twitter).
He spent 12 seasons in the minors before finally getting his shot. In 27 games with Toronto’s Triple-A affiliate, Martin hit three home runs and posted a .253 batting average. Across the 2026 season in the minors, he has 11 home runs and a .274 average.
Okamoto remains another key name to watch as the season winds down. He enters the day with a team-leading 31 home runs in his first season in Major League Baseball.
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Blue Jays Just Extended Their Reach To One Incredible Canadian Community
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Toronto backed the project with a $50,000 donation, while additional support came from the local community, and the build was handled by Synthetic Turf International despite the logistical hurdles that come with working in such a remote location. It is the kind of undertaking that reflects how much the Blue Jays have leaned into grassroots baseball across Canada, even in places where simply getting a field built is an accomplishment. [Read more 🡒]