Blue Jays can't get the job done - but neither can anybody else

Let's just say it was a Freaky Friday in MLB. The American League's leading team got shelled by a team under .500 but somehow managed to stay ahead of everyone else in their chase for not only a postseason berth but the division crown and the AL's best record.

Toronto got spanked by the Royals in Kansas City on Friday evening when they lost 20-1. They led 1-0 after the first at-bat of the game when George Springer hit his 30th home run of the season on the day he turned 36-years-old. It's the first time he's reached 30 home runs as a member of the Blue Jay. The last time he went yard at least 30 times was when he blasted 39 bombs for the Houston Astros in 2019. That's also the 63rd leadoff home run in Springers career - now just 18 back of Rickey Henderson's all-time record of 81.

And that was the highlight of the entire game for Toronto. Their starter Max Scherzer didn't get out of the first inning, giving up seven earned runs and only managing to retire two batters. Manager John Schneider and Pitching Coach Pete Walker were ejected from the game. And the Blue Jays used four guys out of their bullpen and two position players (Tyler Heineman and Isiah Kiner-Falefa) to get through what turned into an embarrassing game for the Blue Jays on a night they could have clinched a playoff berth.

Blue Jays can't get the job done - but neither can anybody else

But as their game wrapped up and the standings were updated with finals from around the league, the Blue Jays could actually breath a sigh of relief. The Yankees lost to the Orioles and the Tigers dropped their game 10-1 to the Braves. With New York's loss the Blue Jays magic number to clinch the division is now down to five and thanks to the Tigers loss, Toronto still have a four game lead on the top seed in the American League.

And maybe this is a good omen for the Blue Jays. You never like to lose big, but the 1992 Blue Jays lost a game 22-2 in late August to the Milwaukee Brewers, in which the Brew Crew compiled 31 hits in front of 50,000 fans at Skydome. The Blue Jays dropped the game the next night as well, but it would mark the final time all season in which Toronto would lose back-to-back contests, going all the way to their first World Series championship.

Perhaps the 2025 Blue Jays, who are now on a three game losing streak, can regroup and snap this slide and, at the very least, lock up a playoff spot before the weekend is over.