Red Sox’s Division Rival Clinches Playoff Berth Before Matchup

There’s one less American League playoff spot up for grabs entering the final week.

The Toronto Blue Jays clinched a playoff berth on Sunday, snapping a four-game losing streak with an 8-5 win over the Kansas City Royals. Toronto became the first AL team to punch a postseason ticket and reach 90 wins this season.

Toronto had scored three combined runs in its last four games before the offense woke up Sunday at Kansas City. George Springer continued his resurgent season with two hits and a walk, and All-Star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. delivered a two-run double in the fifth inning.

Trey Yesavage was shaky in his second career start, allowing five hits, three walks and four runs over four innings. But four Blue Jays relievers held the Royals to one run over the final five frames.

While the Blue Jays are playoff-bound, the AL East remains unclaimed. They’re two games ahead of the New York Yankees and 4.5 games above the Boston Red Sox before Sunday night’s contest against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The division is still in play for the Red Sox, who begin a three-game series at Toronto on Tuesday. Unfortunately for Boston, Toronto has Monday off to rest after Sunday’s celebration.

A “Sunday Night Baseball” victory and sweep over Toronto could give Boston a chance to steal the division, but the Red Sox would still need help from the Blue Jays and Yankees over the final week. The wild card is a more likely landing spot, and the path got clearer after the Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros lost on Sunday afternoon.