Blue Jays Trim Magic Number to Clinch AL East by Two Entering September

Toronto entered Sunday with a magic number of 25 to win the AL East. That was a combination of Blue Jays wins and Yankees losses. Every time Toronto wins a game, or New York loses a game, the number drops. That’s why Sunday helped the Blue Jays so much. By claiming the win over Milwaukee, and by the Yankees losing to the White Sox, the magic number dropped to 23.

The Blue Jays are also trying to keep pace for the top playoff seed in the American League. Toronto remained a half-game behind Detroit in that race, with the Tigers winning on Sunday. The Tigers would have home-field advantage in the American League playoffs, if the season ended on Monday. But Toronto is still in that race, as well.

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.

The Yankees and the Red Sox can still catch Toronto’s quest for a division title. In fact, both teams face head-to-head matchups with the Blue Jays in September. The Yankees will host Toronto this weekend, while the Blue Jays get Boston at home in their next to last series of the regular season.

The final month is a healthy diet of AL East opponents for Toronto, as it also faces Baltimore in a four-game series at home and Tampa Bay twice in the final four series of the season. Division play will be a huge determinant in how the Blue Jays finish the season.

Toronto Blue Jays Magic Number Watch

Magic Number to Clinch AL East: 23

Toronto Blue Jays Games Remaining: 25

Toronto Blue Jays Remaining Schedule: Sept. 1-3, at Cincinnati; Sept. 5-7, at New York Yankees; Sept. 9-11, vs. Houston; Sept. 12-14, 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 Aug. 31)

Toronto Blue Jays: 79-58 (lead division)

New York Yankees: 76-61 (3.0 games behind)

Boston Red Sox: 76-62 (3.5 games behind)

New York Yankees Remaining Schedule (25 games): Sept. 2-4, at Houston; Sept. 5-7, vs. Toronto; Sept. 9-11, vs. Detroit; Sept. 12-14, 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 (24 games): Sept. 1-3, vs. Cleveland; Sept. 5-7, at Arizona; Sept. 8-10, at Athletics; Sept. 12-14, 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.

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