BUFFALO, United States — The Toronto Blue Jays dropped a 7-5 decision to the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon in a final tune-up ahead of their first post-season appearance in four years.
The Orioles scored three runs in the fourth inning and tacked on three more in the fifth as the Blue Jays’ four-game win streak ended in their regular-season finale. Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., homered for the Blue Jays, who rested slugger Teoscar Hernandez and their main relievers.
The loss means Toronto will be seeded eighth in the American League and take on the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays in a best-of-three wild-card series starting Tuesday at Tropicana Field.
At the start of the day, the Blue Jays had a chance to rise to the fifth seed. Potential outcomes existed that could have seen first-round matchups against the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians or the Chicago White Sox.
Toronto was 4-6 against Tampa Bay this season. Four of the Blue Jays’ six losses were by one run.
The Blue Jays finished the pandemic-shortened 60-game campaign with a 32-28 record. Toronto was 17-9 at Sahlen Field, normally the home of the team’s triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons.
