Out of town scoreboard: Blue Jays and Orioles lose on a quiet Thursday
Photo credit: © John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Aug 28, 2026, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 28, 2026, 19:30 EDT
Thursday was a quiet day around Major League Baseball.
Only half the league was in action, including the Toronto Blue Jays and two other teams in the wild card race. Unfortunately, the Blue Jays lost ground on the Cleveland Guardians without the American League Central team even needing to play.
Thursday’s series finale against the Kansas City Royals didn’t go great, as the Jays were down 4-0 after two. They kept it from being a blowout until the sixth, when the Royals hung a six spot. The Jays finally got on the board, but the game was well out of reach, especially when the Royals tacked on three more runs in the final two innings. It was a rather sizeable set back.
With the Guardians being inactive, the Jays dropped to three and a half games behind the team they’ll play to kick off next week. But the question is, how’d the other two wild card hopefuls perform, as well as what’s next for the eight teams in the race?
Out of town scoreboard for August 27th
The other bird-based team in the wild card hunt also lost, as the Baltimore Orioles fell 7-5 to the St. Louis Cardinals. In the bottom of the second, the Cardinals scored three runs, then another two in the fourth. The Orioles finally responded as the two teams exchanged runs in the fifth. A late comeback attempt saw the Orioles score three runs in the seventh and another in the eighth, but the Cardinals added an insurance run to hold on.
Like the Blue Jays, the Cardinals’ dropped a half game to the Guardians, as they now sit three games behind the final wild card spot. This weekend, they’ll travel west to face the Athletics. Brandon Young (3.50 ERA) will be on the mound for the AL East team.
The other team in the wild card conversation that was in action were the Houston Astros. They defeated the New York Yankees 5-1, taking a 3-0 lead in the sixth before the Bronx Bombers got on the board with their lone run. The Astros scored a run in each of the next two innings.
With the win, the Astros have a 67-67 record, good for the top spot in the American League West. However, their lead is precarious as the Texas Rangers have a 66-68 record and sit just a game back of the division and three behind the wild card. The Astros face the Mets, with Hunter Brown (3.51 ERA) starting.
Setting up the rest of the weekend
Those Rangers take on the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend. Cody Bradford (3.05 ERA) is set to get the ball for the 2023 World Series champions. The Guardians look to extend their winning streak to eight games, beginning a series against the Royals at home. Tanner Bibee (3.96 ERA) is slated to get the ball.
Three teams trail in the hunt trail the Blue Jays, including the team they’ll face this weekend. The Jays host the Seattle Mariners, with Dylan Cease (2.37 ERA) starting opposed to Emerson Hancock (3.37 ERA). Seattle sits four games back of the Guardians.
Lastly, the Minnesota Twins host the Chicago White Sox with Dean Kremer (5.22 ERA) on the mound, while the Detroit Tigers face the Los Angeles Dodgers. Tarik Skubal faces his old team and is opposed by Tigers’ starter Drew Anderson (3.96 ERA).
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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