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Blue Jays officially eliminated from AL wild-card race with loss to Orioles

Loss to Baltimore Orioles in Game 1 of doubleheader ended any post-season hopes for Toronto, despite Max Scherzer's efforts.

Published Sep 23, 2026  •  Last updated 8 hours ago  •  3 minute read

Max Scherzer of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the first inning of his 500th career MLB game during game 1 of a double header against the Baltimore Orioles. Getty Images

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It’s now official: The Blue Jays will not be going back to the playoffs.

On the front end of a doubleheader and with both participating teams — Toronto and Baltimore — one loss shy of reaching that mathematical elimination point, the Jays blinked first.

They dropped a 4-2 decision, becoming the sixth American League team and 14th team in the major leagues out of chances for post-season play in 2026.

The Orioles maintained their tenuous hold on playoff relevancy with another 4-2 win in the nightcap, while also ensuring the Jays will finish below .500 for the season. 

The pitching matchup in the first game was a familiar one as it repeated the veteran mano-e-mano of exactly 11 days ago and the result, if not the game, were similar.

Ex-Jay and veteran right-hander Chris Bassitt again got the better of current Jay and veteran right-hander Max Scherzer.

Both vets seem to be finishing on a high. Bassitt has been solid since coming back from surgery to remove bone spurs from his lower back.

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He joined the injured list in early June and his return came in mid-August. Since then, he has helped the Orioles win six of his eight starts, while only once surpassing three earned runs allowed and never going fewer than five innings.

Scherzer has had a similar uptick of late and, but for the 41st homer of Pete Alonso’s fine first year in an Orioles uniform, would have got through five innings with just two runs against.

Alonso, though, has been a huge difference-maker in the Jays head-to-head battles with Baltimore this season. He has four homers in the past four games against Toronto, but that was his first ever against Scherzer, who has had his number for much of their previous meetings.

Both experienced hurlers got through five innings, but it was Bassitt who kept the ball in the ballpark and avoided multiple walks to came out on top.

Two of the three walks Scherzer allowed in his five innings came around to score while Bassitt gave up more hits, but limited the damage better.

It was fitting that the Jays would be eliminated in a game in which they went just 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position, a major bugaboo all season for Toronto.

Also fitting was a lapse in fundamental defence that cost the Jays and Scherzer a run early in the game.

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With Colton Cowser on third and Jeremiah Jackson on first, Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela threw down to second with Jackson taking off from first.

Andres Gimenez took the throw and began running the would-be base stealer back to first all while keeping an eye on the Cowser halfway down the line at third. Gimenez threw to first too early allowing Cowser to cross the plate before Jackson could be tagged out.

The play ended the inning but the run scored — not a tradeoff a team playing an elimination game and already down a run should be making.

It was just another defensive play that was not made this season after sound defence was such a huge part of their success a year ago.

In the nightcap, a pair of triple-A callups, CJ Van Eyk for the Jays and Trey Gibson for the Orioles, pulled starting duties with Gibson’s 6 2/3 shutout innings, carrying the night.

Guerrero Jr. was a late addition to the starting lineup for the first game after taking some hacks in the batting cage.

But the turmoil came from an interview he did with Spanish-speaking media that hit social media earlier in the day.

In the interview, Guerrero Jr. discusses the misconception he believes fans have when it comes to contracts. The message, given the timing of it and the season–long struggles Guerrero has gone through, was not well received by the fanbase.

It’s going to be a focal point of the final weekend of the regular season, when the Blue Jays play host to the Cincinnati Reds for three now-meaningless games to finish off the 2026 schedule.

Once eliminated, the Jays wasted little time in moving ace Dylan Cease to the injured list with right shoulder inflammation. The team also recalled right-handers CJ Van Eyk, who started the second game of the doubleheader, and Chase Lee from triple-A Buffalo, while optioning reliever Jose Rodriguez to the Spring Training Complex.

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