Blue Jays’ Winning Record Vaults Them Into A Tie With Cleveland For A Playoff Wild Card

Blue Jays’ Kazuma Okamoto drove in his 80th and 81st runs of the season as part of a four-hit performance.

By the time the Blue Jays had two runners on base with none out in the sixth inning of a tie game on Saturday night, news of the Cleveland Guardians’ loss to the the visiting Detroit Tigers became official.

All that was required from the Jays was to beat the host Kansas City Royals to lift them into the third and final American League wild-card slot — tied with the Guardians at 72-71, but winners of the season series (4-2) that would nudge Toronto into a playoff berth, albeit with 19 games left to play.

The long-awaited moment had arrived for the Jays to take control, and seize the moment they did with a 4-3 victory over the Royals as Kazuma Okamoto drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning with his fourth hit of the night — a season-high for the first-year Jays slugger.

The drama, meanwhile, is a long way from being settled. The Jays still have six games remaining against Baltimore and three versus Texas, both teams also in the wild-card hunt despite losing on Saturday night. The Rangers are two games behind the Jays and Guardians, the Orioles three.

With the Jays’ starting pitchers dropping like flies, future first-ballot Hall of Famer Max Scherzer has suddenly become an indispensable part of the rotation.

At the ripe old age of 42, Scherzer hasn’t lost his competitive spirit and at least based on his previous start — when he struck out 10 Mariners in seven shutout innings — he hasn’t lost all of his skills.

Going as deep as possible into games is all one can reasonably ask of Scherzer, and early on Saturday’s start in K.C., that didn’t look too promising. Beginning his outing with a 2-0 Jays lead, Scherzer allowed the first four Royals to reach base, before allowing K.C. to score twice and tie the game.

Then, after the Jays had retaken the lead in the third, Scherzer served up a solo homer to John Rave as the Royals drew even for the second time on the night.

Two long outs to begin the sixth inning, followed by a single brought manager John Schneider out to replace Scherzer with Mason Fluharty.

Nowhere near as dominant as when he faced the Mariners, Scherzer battled and gave the Jays some length, as he lasted 5.2 innings, allowing the three on five hits, a walk and a balk, and striking out just two. Mission accomplished.

The first inning showcased some of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s elite skills without a bat in his hands — a side of his game that many of his detractors prefer to conveniently overlook.

After singling in his first at-bat of the night, Guerrero — with the help of a throwing error by Royals third baseman Josh Rojas — scored all the way from first on the infield single by Alejandro Kirk. Vladdy slid to the far right of the plate and reached back with his left hand to touch it before the tag could be applied.

The other under-appreciated skill is his arm at first base along with his instincts and awareness. With one out and Royals on second and third, Michael Massey hit a soft bouncer up the first-base line to Guerrero. Jac Caglianone was breaking for the plate from third but when he saw Guerrero looking to throw to the plate, he bolted back to third. Guerrero fired a strike to Okamoto to get the K.C. runner in a head-first dive.

Jameson Taillon’s season is now in peril following Saturday’s news that he has been placed back on the 15-day injured list because of right elbow inflammation.

He had come off the IL only one day earlier, following a three-week stint because of tendinitis.

Against the Royals Friday night, Taillon left the game after two innings. An MRI was conducted on his elbow, but the club wants to solicit a second opinion before making any definitive call.

Given that the regular season is winding down, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Taillon’s season has ended.

The Jays’ starting rotation has suddenly been depleted, which is saying a lot knowing it was once viewed as having too many arms, but has undergone a season-long period of flux and uncertainty.

In the hours preceding the pitching news, the Jays announced they had claimed catcher Shawn Ross off waivers from the New York Mets and immediately optioned him to triple-A Buffalo.

Before packing their bags for Sacramento, the Jays conclude their stay in K.C. with Sunday’s series finale (2:10 p.m. first pitch) … Spencer Arrighetti figures to play a role in the Jays’ pitching plans in what is shaping up as a bullpen day … Royals have announced RHP Randy Dobnak will make the start, his second against the Jays in less than two weeks.