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Out of town scoreboard: Blue Jays’ win puts them within striking distance of Guardians
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Photo credit: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Ryley Delaney
Aug 29, 2026, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 29, 2026, 14:32 EDT
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Almost everything went right for the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday evening.
Taking on the Seattle Mariners, a team in the hunt for the final wild card spot, the Jays managed to win big. After a tough stretch, especially with runners in scoring position, the Jays plated eight runs, going 5-11 with RISP and smacking three home runs.
But the out of town scoreboard also favoured the Blue Jays. Just two of the other seven teams in the hunt for the wild card spot won on Friday evening. Both teams happened to be ahead of the Blue Jays in the standings, but the Cleveland Guardians fell, meaning the Jays now sit two and a half games back of a playoff spot.
Let’s take a look at the out of town scoreboard for Friday evening.

Out of town scoreboard for August 28th

The Blue Jays defeated the Mariners, which is essentially a two game-swing. Not only did the good guys win, but the Jays now have a game and a half cushion over the Mariners. The only way to outright win the season series is to sweep, which is vital if the two teams have the same record at the end of the season.
Saturday afternoon’s game has a 3:07 PM ET start time. José Soriano (3.43 ERA) starts for the Jays, Kade Anderson (4.76 ERA) starts for the Mariners. Entering the game, the Mariners are four and a half games behind the Guardians.
The Kansas City Royals managed to take two of three against the Blue Jays earlier this week, and their strong play continued with a 3-0 victory over the Guardians. They opened the scoring in the fifth, then added two insurance runs in the ninth. Michael Wacha struck out 10 over eight scoreless innings, and they managed to strand the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth.
Saturday’s game between the two American League Central teams begins at 4:10 PM ET. Foster Griffin (3.19 ERA), yes, the former Blue Jay, starts for the Guardians. He’s opposed by Daniel Lynch IV (2.93 ERA). The Guardians have a two-game lead over playoff hopefuls.
In the AL, only the Royals are hotter than the Guardians in the last 10 games. Their two team’s division rival, the Detroit Tigers, are heading in the opposite direction. Tarik Skubal returned to Motor City in Dodger Blue, striking out seven in six innings of one run ball. The Tigers actually led, but the Los Angeles Dodgers tied it in the sixth, then scored the go-ahead run in the eighth for a 2-1 victory.
Going 2-8 in their last 10, the Tigers are now five and a half games behind the Guardians. The Royals are just two games behind the Blue Jays’ geographical rival, so in the near future, we may be honing in on the Royals instead of the Tigers. But for now, the Tigers and Dodgers play Saturday afternoon, with Keider Montero (3.23 ERA) starting against the Dodgers’ Blake Snell (2.66 ERA).
The Minnesota Twins are also in the same boat of poor play. On Friday, they fell 7-4 to the Chicago White Sox, with the visitors taking a 4-3 lead in the top of the first, followed by three runs by the Twins. The following inning saw the Twins tie the game, but the White Sox scored three more runs over the course of the game.
Because of the loss, the Twins now sit four games behind the Guardians with a 64-71 record. Saturday’s contest will see Bailey Ober (4.49 ERA) face Erick Fedde (4.18). The game has a 2:10 PM ET start time.
Another game that went in favour of the Blue Jays was the Rangers’ contest against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Brewers opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, but the Rangers cut the lead in half in the third. That turned out to be their lone run, and the Brewers added four late runs in a 6-1 victory.
The Rangers are one of four teams currently ahead of the Blue Jays, as they have a 66-69 record. Moreover, they kept pace with the Guardians and are two games back of the AL Central team. Canadian Cal Quantrill (2.90 ERA) is set to start Saturday evening’s game.
While they kept pace with the Guardians for the final wild card spot, the Rangers lost ground for the division lead as the Houston Astros picked up a 3-1 victory over the New York Mets. Hunter Brown was dominant, giving up one earned run in six and two-thirds innings of work, striking out 10. A three-run top of the sixth was enough offence for the victory.
Saturday’s game has 4:10 PM ET start time, with Bennett Sousa (6.27 ERA) set to start against Nolan McLean (3.21 ERA).
The Baltimore Orioles were the lone team currently ahead of the Blue Jays but out of the postseason to win on Friday. They took an early 2-0 over the Athletics, but the west coast team scored two late runs to force extras. Unfortunately, the Orioles scored twice, with the Athletics only managing to score once in a 4-3 Orioles win.
With the win, the Orioles gained a game on the Guardians and now just sit two games behind for the final wild card spot. Saturday’s game has a 10:05 PM ET start time, as Shane Baz (4.04 ERA) is set to start for the Orioles.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for Blue Jays Nation, DFOEdmonton, and DFOCalgary. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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