Blue Jays AL East Recap: Blue Jays fighting for first

Orioles continue to reel
Baltimore Orioles: 74-62

The Baltimore Orioles once again struggled to get back into the American League East race. The Orioles lost their key contest of the week to the Blue Jays, widening the gap. Despite a strong weekend against the Yankees, they couldn’t complete the sweep.

The 3-3 week put the Orioles 3.0 games outside of first place and pushed them into a tie with the Detroit Tigers for the second Wild Card spot. The Orioles will face the Rays to start the week, before facing their Wild Card rivals in Detroit. Baltimore has fallen from first to third in the last three weeks, as the Red Sox and Blue Jays have duelled it out for First.

The O’s picked up some much needed acquisitions this week. They added veteran outfielders Michael Bourn and Drew Stubbs to their active roster. This move bolsters an outfield with fast and defensive players, something of a weakness for the Orioles this year.

Additionally, they added two relievers and a catcher with the expanded roster. Kevin Gausman has performed brilliantly, filling in well for the injured Chris Tillman. His hot stretch has helped to mitigate losing the rotation’s top arm. Tillman could be activated as early as next week.

Final Takeaway:

Despite the rough week, the roster adjustments should provide much needed cavalry for the Orioles. It’ll be a tough stretch, but the Orioles still have more than a fighting chance to make it to the post season.

Next: Baby Bombers contend, still in Wild Card hunt