The Blue Jays head into Wednesday’s finale with a real chance to keep their postseason push moving in the right direction. A win over the Athletics would give Toronto another series victory and help it stay firmly in the mix for the American League wild-card race.
Toronto enters at 73-73, just one game behind the Cleveland Guardians for the last wild-card spot. With only 16 games left, the margin for error is gone, and every inning now carries extra weight.
The last game of the three-game set is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET and 12:05 p.m. PT at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. Fans in Canada can watch the matchup on Sportsnet.
A Split Series Has Set Up a Pressure Finish
The Blue Jays had a rough opening to the series when defensive miscues helped fuel a 6-5 loss on Monday. They answered the next night with a cleaner performance, beating the Athletics 4-2 to even the matchup.
That bounce-back mattered not only because it prevented a series loss, but because it helped Toronto recover some momentum during a critical stretch of the schedule. A fourth straight series win is still within reach, and that would be a meaningful sign of stability late in the season.
Toronto also benefited from a much lighter workload on Tuesday. After using six pitchers in the loss on Monday, the club needed a shorter game from its starter, and it got exactly that.
Toronto Plans a Bullpen-Led Approach
Braydon Fisher will open the game for Toronto and make his ninth start of the year, even though he has mostly pitched in relief. The right-hander has been effective in a flexible role, which is why the Blue Jays are comfortable using him to begin the game.
Through 70.1 innings, Fisher has posted a 3.20 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP while striking out 68 batters. He has also gone through five straight outings without allowing a run.
His earlier work against Oakland adds another layer of confidence. Fisher faced the Athletics twice in March and retired every batter he saw over 2.1 combined innings.
Because Toronto is treating him as an opener, the rest of the pitching plan will fall to the bullpen. The good news for manager John Schneider is that Tuesday’s shorter outing should leave more arms available for the late innings.
- Braydon Fisher starts for Toronto as an opener.
- He has a 3.20 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, and 68 strikeouts in 70.1 innings.
- He has not allowed a run in five straight appearances.
- Toronto’s bullpen should be better rested after using only two pitchers on Tuesday.
Brady Basso Gives Oakland a Similar Game Plan
The Athletics will counter with left-hander Brady Basso, who is also unlikely to pitch deep into the contest. His season line suggests that Oakland may need several relievers to bridge the gap to the later innings.
Basso is 1-2 with a 4.32 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP across 33.1 innings. He has made four starts, but none has lasted longer than three innings, so this figures to become another game shaped by bullpen usage.
That setup makes late-game execution especially important. Matchups, pitch counts, and timely offense could decide the result long before either starter is expected to finish six innings.
Toronto may like its chances against a club that sits at 58-88 and carries one of the weakest run differentials in baseball. Still, the Athletics already proved they can complicate Toronto’s path by taking the series opener.
Okamoto Keeps Driving the Offense
Kazuma Okamoto continues to be one of the most important bats in Toronto’s lineup during his first major league season. His power has been a major reason the Blue Jays have stayed competitive in this race.
Okamoto homered in both of the first two games against the Athletics. His solo blast on Tuesday was his 30th of the year, making him the first rookie in Blue Jays history to reach that total.
The milestone also placed him in rare company internationally. He became only the fifth player from Japan to hit at least 30 home runs in a single MLB season, which underscores how quickly he has become a central part of Toronto’s offense.
Josh Smith added to the damage on Tuesday by going deep right before Okamoto. That was Smith’s fifth home run since joining the Blue Jays.
The Wild-Card Picture Leaves No Room to Waste
Toronto’s Tuesday win pulled the club back to .500 and kept the wild-card chase close. Even so, the Blue Jays still cannot clinch anything in this series, which makes Wednesday’s game about protecting ground rather than celebrating progress.
The calendar only increases the urgency. After a scheduled off day Thursday, Toronto returns home for six games against the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers, two more teams involved in the crowded playoff race.
That means the trip through California carries more than one kind of importance. Beating the Athletics would not just secure another series win; it would also send Toronto home with momentum and a clearer path to the stretch run.
If the Blue Jays want their playoff push to stay alive, this is the type of game they need to handle. Against a struggling opponent, the goal is simple: finish the job and keep pressure on the teams ahead.