By Canadian Press

Blue Jays will soon learn their opponent in best-of-three AL wild-card series

Oct 1, 2023 | 10:48 AM

TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays will close out Major League Baseball’s regular season Sunday at Rogers Centre in a playoff warm-up for both teams.

Toronto dropped a 7-5 decision to Tampa Bay on Saturday but clinched a post-season spot a few hours later when the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 6-1.

The Blue Jays are expected to celebrate their playoff berth after the mid-afternoon finale.

It remains unclear who Toronto will play in the best-of-three wild-card round starting Tuesday. Toronto will be on the road as the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the American League.

If the Blue Jays are seeded fifth, they will play Tampa Bay. If Toronto is the sixth seed, a matchup against the AL Central Division champion Minnesota Twins awaits.

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The AL West Division crown remains up for grabs entering the final day of the campaign. The order of finish will also impact the wild-card standings.

The Texas Rangers enter play Sunday with a one-game lead on the second-place Houston Astros in the West. The Rangers will visit the Seattle Mariners and the Astros will face the Diamondbacks in Arizona.

Toronto and Houston are tied for the last two wild-card spots.

There are eight potential scenarios based on the results of the three games. Five of them would see Toronto play Tampa Bay and three would see the Blue Jays face Minnesota.

The Blue Jays were swept in the wild-card round in 2020 and 2022. Toronto’s last playoff win came in 2016.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2023.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press