After suffering back-to-back losses in their regular season finale, the Toronto Blue Jays still found reason to celebrate as they secured a spot in the 2023 post-season. Despite their 12-8 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, the Blue Jays finished with a record of 89-73 and clinched an American League wild-card spot.
Although the team had already left Rogers Centre after their game on Saturday, they didn’t let that stop them from celebrating. The Blue Jays created a nightclub-like atmosphere in their clubhouse and then took the festivities to the field to share the joy with the fans who remained. Toronto manager John Schneider addressed his players during the post-game celebrations, acknowledging the ups and downs they had experienced throughout the season and encouraging them to make a strong run in the playoffs.
Following the conclusion of all the wild-card matchups on Sunday, the Blue Jays secured the third wild-card spot. They are set to face the Minnesota Twins (87-75) in a best-of-three series beginning in Minneapolis on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Rays will face the Texas Rangers (90-72).
Inside the clubhouse, dance music filled the air as the players celebrated. Wearing T-shirts that read “Take October,” they showered each other with Henkell Trocken champagne and enjoyed victory cigars. Toronto outfielder Kevin Kiermaier expressed that it was fitting for the team to wait until the final day of the regular season to celebrate, considering the challenges they had faced throughout the year. He emphasized that the playoffs marked a new beginning and that the team was determined to control their own destiny.
Several regular players, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Matt Chapman, George Springer, and Alejandro Kirk, were rested for the final game of the regular season. However, manager John Schneider assured that they would be ready to compete in the playoffs. Schneider reflected on the team’s journey and expressed his confidence in their ability to rise to the occasion in the post-season.
This marks the Blue Jays’ second consecutive trip to the playoffs since John Schneider took over as manager in July 2022. Last fall, the team fell short in their wild-card series against the Seattle Mariners. Reliever Jordan Romano shared that many of the players were using that defeat as motivation and were excited for a second chance in the playoffs.
In their last regular-season game, both teams started triple-A call-ups: Wes Parsons (0-1) for the Toronto Blue Jays and Jacob Lopez (1-0) for the Tampa Bay Rays. As a result, the game turned into a high-scoring affair, with Tampa Bay amassing 16 hits compared to Toronto’s 13. The Rays quickly took control by scoring seven runs in the second inning, highlighted by Jonathan Aranda’s first career grand slam. Parsons, who had not pitched in the MLB for four years, struggled on the mound, allowing nine runs on 10 hits in four innings. Tampa Bay’s Manuel Margot and Junior Caminero both hit solo home runs, contributing to their team’s dominant performance. Although the Blue Jays fought back with three runs in the second inning and three more in the sixth, they fell short.
Toronto’s Brandon Belt provided a bright spot for the Blue Jays, hitting his 19th home run of the season in the eighth inning. Blue Jays rookie Cam Eden also made his mark by recording his first career hit with a single in the second inning. Meanwhile, Yandy Diaz, who sat out the game for the Rays, claimed the American League batting title after Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers went 0-for-4 on Sunday.
The Blue Jays’ strong performance throughout the season translated into impressive attendance numbers. The team surpassed three million fans in attendance for the eighth time in franchise history and the first time since 2017, with a final crowd of 42,058 in their last game, bringing the season total to 3,021,904.
With a day off on Monday, the Blue Jays will prepare to start their AL wild-card series. Right-handed pitcher Kevin Gausman, who led the American League with 237 strikeouts, is expected to start the post-season opener for Toronto on Tuesday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on October 1, 2023.