Blue Jays eliminated from playoff contention after 4-2 loss to Baltimore

The Toronto Blue Jays are officially eliminated from playoff contention after losing 4-2 to the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday in Baltimore, the first game of a doubleheader.

The loss closes a chapter on a steep fall from last season. The Jays won 94 games in 2025 and came within one win of capturing the World Series. This year they finished with 77 wins and sit 4.5 games behind the final wild card spot in the American League, with four games remaining.

Key injuries plagued the team from the start of 2026. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the team's marquee slugger, had a down year: nine home runs this season compared to 23 last year, with an OPS of .695 versus .848. Veterans George Springer and Max Scherzer also struggled, and both could be lost in free agency.

Scherzer took the loss Wednesday, striking out seven and allowing four earned runs. He gave up a two-run homer to Peter Alonso in the bottom of the fifth. The second game of the doubleheader runs Wednesday night ET on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+. The Jays have an off day Thursday before wrapping their season with a three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds in Toronto. This marks the third time in seven seasons the team will miss the playoffs.