Playoff pressure is on for Blue Jays with five games left in MLB’s regular season

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) throws to a Boston Red Sox batter in first inning American League baseball action in Toronto on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jon Blacker

TORONTO — Toronto Blue Jays fans may be stressed out by Major League Baseball’s final week, but Kevin Gausman is relishing it.

The Blue Jays lost to the Boston Red Sox 4-1 and the New York Yankees completed a 3-2 come-from-behind victory over the Chicago White Sox within 30 seconds of each other Tuesday night. That narrowed Toronto’s lead in the American League East to just one game, with five games left in the regular season, although the Blue Jays hold the tiebreaker over New York.

“It’s crazy. You play 162 games, and it always feels like it comes down to the last week, which is nuts,” said Gausman (10-11) after taking the loss for Toronto. “I don’t know how it always happens that way, but, you know, it’s exciting.

“As a player, you come to the field with a little bit different edge, knowing that every game means a little bit more.”

Toronto has already clinched a playoff berth with its 8-5 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday.

But seeding matters a great deal, with the top two division leaders getting a bye to the American League Division Series. The top team in the AL will have home-field advantage up to the World Series, when the National League representative will play host for the majority of games.

The Blue Jays’ magic number to clinch the pennant is still at four, meaning four Toronto wins, four Yankees losses, or a combination of both, will give them the title.

Gausman said that it’s not that he’s oblivious to the pressures of trying to win the AL East title, he just enjoys the heightened tension.

“It’s kind of hard to push it to the side,” said Gausman. “You’re walking out for the game, and (Rogers Centre is) already packed.

“I think starters notice it a little bit more, because we’re out there before the game, and can kind of feel the energy in the building. You’ve just got to take it day by day.”

The 4-1 loss to Boston was the first game in a six-game homestand at Rogers Centre to close out the regular season.

Max Scherzer (5-4) gets the start for Toronto on Wednesday in the second game of the three-game series with the Red Sox (86-71). Boston ace Garrett Crochet (17-5) will take the mound for the visitors.

The Red Sox are also motivated as they hold the second wild-card berth in the American League, one game ahead of the Detroit Tigers.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider said his team has to stick to the style of play that put them on top of the AL.

“We know what’s going to come, it’s going to come down to the wire,” said Schneider. “I think we’ve just got to continue to stay focused on what we have to do, rather than anyone else.

“You’ve got another tough pitcher tomorrow in Crochet … Every game is going to be important, right? It’s nice to be into the post-season, but every game is going to be important.”

The Blue Jays will close out the regular season with a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays (76-81) at Rogers Centre.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2025.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press