With a pivotal series loss to the Baltimore Orioles earlier this month, the Toronto Blue Jays have dug a substantial hole for themselves in terms of playoff contention. Losing three of four games against the underwhelming Houston Astros didn't help the Jays' cause, but dropping two of three to their division rival in the Baltimore Orioles dropped Toronto well out of contention for 1st in the AL East, at least for the time being. However, some late rallies over the Detroit Tigers have put them back in a position to regain a wild card spot by the middle of the week if they can take the majority of a three-game set against another team fighting for that second wild card spot, the Seattle Mariners.
Both the M's and the Jays are 1.5 games back of the Kansas City Royals for the 2nd wild card spot, but the Mariners have 2 games in hand over Toronto, making their series this week that much more
important for the Blue Jays. A 19-inning marathon prior to the series opener doesn't give Toronto the best jump out of the gates, but the Jays' starting pitching staff has been outstanding as of late, something the boys in blue and white haven't had the luxury of having for the majority of the 2014 campaign. After Toronto failed to capitalize on a quality outing from J.A. Happ earlier in the week, it took some late-game rallies in order for the Jays to reward their starters with a win. The Blue Jays can't depend on strong pitching night in and night out, so the bats are going to have to get going if the Jays want to contend for a playoff spot down the stretch.
The Jays aren't going to have an easy task on their hand, as the Seattle Mariners are coming into this series red hot. The M's have won five of their last six games, and the addition of leadoff man Austin Jackson has really boosted Seattle's offence all-around. Not to mention, the Jays have to face the 1-2-3 starters in Felix Hernandez, Chris Young and Hisashi Iwakuma. Let's face it, Felix Hernandez vs. Drew Hutchison is a little lopsided, but if the Jays bats can solve "The King" in the series opener, it will only boost their morale heading into the latter two games of the series. Nonetheless, the Mariners will be fielding their A-game, as this series means as much to them as it does for Toronto.
If the Jays can manage to take at least two of the three games against the Mariners, that would put Toronto at a record of 65-57, meaning although the KC Royals have three games in hand on the Jays, it
means Kansas City needs to win two of the four game set against arguably the AL's best in the Oakland Athletics. Not to mention, the Jays are neck-and-neck with the Mariners for the 2nd spot in the wild card, meaning a win against Seattle is a game ahead of the competitors fighting to dethrone the Royals. Don't forget, the New York Yankees, are also breathing down the neck of Toronto, so this series not only seperates the Jays from the M's, but it also sets them apart from the Yanks. Not to mention, Toronto also has two more three-game sets against the Baltimore Orioles down the stretch, which could turn the tables on the AL East standings.
Although the odds are piled up against the Toronto Blue Jays, this series against a wild card rival in the Seattle Mariners could just open the window for Toronto to make a push for the 2nd wild card spot. Even though there's still over 40 games remaining in the season, there's only so many banana peels you can slip on down the stretch. With the roster their fielding and the star power Toronto is missing, the room for error is becoming more and more narrow as the days pass. Any way you look at it, if you're either a Blue Jays fan or a Mariners fan, this three-game set in Seattle is a pivotal series for both ball clubs, and the victor of the series has a leg up on the opposing squad heading into the final stretch of the season.
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