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Blue Jays Magic Number to Clinch AL East Title Drops After Orioles Win

Originally posted on Toronto Blue Jays on SI
By Matt Postins | Last updated Sep 13, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Toronto Blue Jays are trying to take advantage of a weekend series with the Baltimore Orioles to further cut into its magic number to win the American League East title.

Toronto (85-62) won its second straight game, as the Blue Jays outlasted Baltimore, 6-1. The Orioles took an early lead, but the Blue Jays chipped away and exploded with a three-run eighth inning to put the game away.

Because Toronto won that meant a change in the Blue Jays’ magic number to win the division.

Blue Jays Magic Number to Clinch AL East

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Toronto entered the day with a magic number of 14 to clinch the division. That number drops every time the Blue Jays win, or the New York Yankees lose. Toronto’s win meant the magic number was 13. The Yankees are in second place in the AL East, and they are in Boston for a three-game series against their arch-rival Red Sox, who are third in the division.

The Blue Jays were Red Sox fans on Friday, but they didn’t get their way. New York won the game, 4-1, which kept Toronto’s magic number at 14. It also allowed New York to keep pace with Toronto. The Blue Jays have a three-game lead in the division entering Saturday’s action.

Toronto did help its case for the No. 1 seed in the AL playoffs. The Detroit Tigers, the leaders in the AL Central, are now 1.5 games back of the Blue Jays for the top seed, which comes with home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs.

The Blue Jays are seeking to win their first division title since 2015, when they won 93 games and reached the American League Championship Series. Since that division title they've been to the postseason four other times, but always as a wild card team. The Blue Jays reached the ALCS again in 2016 but fell to Cleveland.

Toronto has a team good enough to duplicate what their 1992 and 1993 teams did, which was win the World Series. That 1993 season was the last time the Blue Jays played in the Fall Classic.

Toronto Blue Jays Magic Number Watch

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Magic Number to Clinch AL East: 13

Toronto Blue Jays Games Remaining: 15

Toronto Blue Jays Remaining Schedule: Sept. 13-14, vs. Baltimore; Sept. 15-18, at Tampa Bay; Sept. 19-21, at Kansas City; Sept. 23-25 vs. Boston; Sept. 26-28, vs. Tampa Bay.

AL East Division Race (after Sept. 12)

Toronto Blue Jays: 85-62 (lead division)

New York Yankees: 82-65 (3.0 games behind)

Boston Red Sox: 81-67 (4.5 games behind)

New York Yankees Remaining Schedule (15 games): Sept. 13-14, at Boston; Sept. 15-17, at Minnesota; Sept. 18-21, at Baltimore; Sept. 23-25 vs. Chicago White Sox; Sept. 26-28, vs. Baltimore.

Boston Red Sox Remaining Schedule (14 games): Sept. 13-14, vs. New York Yankees; Sept. 16-18, vs. Athletics; Sept. 19-21, at Tampa Bay; Sept. 23-25 at Toronto; Sept. 26-28, vs. Detroit.

This article first appeared on Toronto Blue Jays on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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