Here are five reasons the Toronto Blue Jays can beat the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Wild Card round.
The Toronto Blue Jays have made it back to the playoffs for the second year in a row. Canada’s baseball team will square off in the AL Wild Card Game with a familiar foe, the Baltimore Orioles.
The Blue Jays won the season series with the Baltimore Orioles by a margin of 10-9. By virtue of that series win, the Jays will host the Orioles in the American League Wild Card Game on Tuesday evening. Both teams finished the year with identical 89-73 records, but the Blue Jays claimed the tie breaker.
The Blue Jays should be viewed as the favorite in this game given their home-field advantage and their track record against the Orioles. Here are the five biggest reasons Toronto will edge past the Orioles, setting up a rematch with the Texas Rangers in the ALDS.
5. Marcus Stroman is made for the spotlight
While his regular season leaves something to be desired, Marcus Stroman, who will start for the Blue Jays, has the personality to thrive under the pressure of a must-win game. John Gibbons could have turned to Francisco Liriano, but he elected to go with the pitcher who gave his team a chance to win three times in last year’s postseason.
It is a somewhat puzzling choice that the Blue Jays tabbed Stroman to start this winner-take-all tilt, however. The Orioles have hit well against him in four starts this season. Stroman went 1-2 with a 7.04 ERA in 23 innings against Baltimore, while allowing well over a hit per inning. The young Duke product is a strike-throwing machine and keeps the ball on the ground, but he does not have a pitch that generates a ton of empty swings.
Liriano would have been a viable choice for the Blue Jays considering his 10-strikeout gem against the Orioles last week, but the team will ride or die with Stroman. In his young career, he has proven himself capable of turning in a good start when the lights are brightest. The Stro Show hasn’t been spectacular this season, but he can be counted on to keep his team in the game every time out.