The Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles have quite a bit in common as they meet this week. They’re both in desperate mode.
The teams will clash in the second game of a three-game series Tuesday night in Baltimore.
The Orioles staged a comeback for a 4-3 victory on Monday, snapping a three-game losing streak.
Both teams could be eliminated from contention as early as Tuesday. The Chicago White Sox (80-76) sit in the third American League wild-card position, three games up on the Houston Astros (77-79), 3 1/2 up in front of the Blue Jays (77-80) and 4 1/2 ahead of the Orioles (76-81).
The Orioles, who ended a three-game skid by taking the series opener, must win their remaining five games to avoid posting a second straight losing season.
The Blue Jays have dropped five of their past seven games.
“You have to continue to move forward and keep going,” Toronto manager John Schneider said of recent misfortunes. “It’s tough, it’s frustrating, but you have to keep going.”
Baltimore slugger Pete Alonso homered twice and drove in three runs Monday. He reached the 40-homer mark for the fourth time in his career, and he has gone deep at least once in six consecutive series.
“He’s just one of the most consistent players I’ve ever seen,” Orioles starting pitcher Shane Baz said of Alonso. “I feel like that’s kind of the name of the game in the big leagues is just being as consistent as possible. And you know, kind of the work that you put in, it shows, and he’s a perfect case of that.”
Anthony Santander was the last Baltimore player to produce a 40-homer season, socking 44 in 2024. Now he is with the Blue Jays’ organization but hasn’t played in the majors this year because of shoulder surgery.
Toronto lost center fielder Brett Bateman to an injury on Monday while playing without ailing first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (lower back tightness).
Bateman sustained a right hip ailment while diving to make a catch.
“He’s just a little tender,” Schneider said. “He jammed it pretty good. We’ll take it day by day.”
The Orioles have questions about the availability of Samuel Basallo. The catcher exited the Monday game prior to the seventh inning, two innings after a foul ball struck his mask.
“The thing is, with that, the concussions, sometimes that happens later on,” Baltimore manager Craig Albernaz said. “When he went back out to catch the next inning, he was flinching on some balls, and I didn’t feel comfortable with him staying in there and flinching.”
In the second inning, Basallo was drilled on the left arm by a foul ball.
The Orioles have Chris Bassitt (8-5, 4.64 ERA) lined up to start on Tuesday. The right-hander has won his past two starts and four of his past five. On Wednesday against the Mets in New York, he lasted 6 2/3 innings and allowed one run on five hits and a walk with six strikeouts.
Bassitt spent the past three seasons with Toronto, reaching double-digit win totals in each of those years. He has faced the Blue Jays twice this year, a no-decision in Baltimore on May 28, when he gave up one run in six innings, and a victory on Sept. 11 at Toronto, where he yielded two runs in five innings.
In five all-time starts vs. the Blue Jays, he is 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA.
Toronto’s starter will be right-hander Max Scherzer (3-8, 6.07 ERA), who is seeking to produce victories in back-to-back games for the first time this season. He held the Detroit Tigers to one run in five innings on Wednesday.
Scherzer will be making his 17th start, matching his total from last year. He is 7-5 with a 3.85 in 19 career starts vs. Baltimore, including a Sept. 11 loss in which he yielded six runs on seven hits in five innings.