Blue Jays edge closer to AL's top wild-card spot, home-field advantage with rain-shortened win over O's

Arabnews24.ca:Monday 3 October 2022 11:26 PM: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit his 32nd homer and the Toronto Blue Jays edged closer to the top seed for an American League wild card series with a 5-1 rain-shortened victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night in game shortened by rain.

Play was halted by rain with Toronto batting with two outs in the eighth and called after a wait of 55 minutes.

Toronto would host a best-of-three playoff series starting Friday if it wins one more game or Seattle loses at least one of its final four games.

Before a crowd of just 10,642, Jose Berrios (12-7) allowed one run and three hits with five strikeouts and three walks over six innings.

Tim Mayza earned his second save.

Baltimore's Jorge Mateo stole his American League-leading 35th base, one ahead of teammate Cedric Mullins.

Baltimore already had secured a winning season for the first time since 2016.

Toronto took a 2-0 lead off Dean Kremer in the second on a single by Merrifield that scored Teoscar Hernandez and Matt Chapman.

Guerrero boosted the lead to 3-0 with a 422-drive over the left-field wall in the third.

The Orioles got the board in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Santander that Hernandez was able to snag with a running, leaping catch at the right-field fence.

A wild pitch by Kremer allowed Merrifield to score in the fifth as the Blue Jays increased the lead to 4-1.

Kremer (8-7) allowed four runs and six hits with four strikeouts and one walk over six innings. He ends the season with a 3.23 ERA over 21 starts.

Chapman added an RBI single in the eighth.

Blue Jays outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (left hamstring strain) could be available when the post-season begins on Friday.

Orioles' Felix Bautista, who leads the team with 15 saves, has been shut down for the season with left knee soreness.

Blue Jays' Mitch White (1-6, 5.21) will start on Tuesday and has pitched against the Orioles once in his career, allowing five runs on three hits, two strikeouts and three walks over 2 1/3 innings last month.

Mike Baumann (1-3, 4.34 ERA) will start for the Orioles and is 0-1 with an 8.10 ERA in three appearances, including one start, against Toronto.