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By Jackson Roberts
Contributing Sports Writer
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They've made things much more difficult on themselves than they needed to, but the Toronto Blue Jays are still in control of their destiny.
What was a five-game lead in the American League East last Wednesday has withered away completely. The Blue Jays and New York Yankees were tied entering Friday's action, with only three contests to go for either team.
Thankfully for Toronto, the season series between the two clubs went the Blue Jays' way. That means all they have to do to defeat the Yankees and claim their first division title in 10 years is match whatever New York does this weekend. However, that's exactly what they've been failing to do as of late.
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Blue Jays' magic number: 3
Toronto has dropped three consecutive series, while the Yankees have won their last four. If that trend continues this weekend, with the Jays facing the Tampa Bay Rays and the Yanks facing the Baltimore Orioles, New York will be division champs for the second year in a row.
The only way the Blue Jays can guarantee that doesn't happen is to sweep the Rays. But the magic number is three, so any combination of Toronto wins and New York losses adding up to three would seal the deal.
If there's one saving grace for the Blue Jays, it's that the Orioles have their best pitchers set up for the weekend. Lefty Trevor Rogers and his 1.35 ERA is slated to go for Baltimore on Friday night, to be followed by Tomoyuki Sugano and Kyle Bradish.
On Toronto's side, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, and Kevin Gausman, who might wind up becoming the three members of manager John Schneider's playoff rotation, are preparing to toe the slab. They are to be opposed by Randy Houser, Joe Boyle, and Ian Seymour.
The Blue Jays have been waiting for this sort of golden opportunity to claim a division title for a decade, and they're in serious danger of letting it slip away. As first pitch approaches on Friday night, the players have to do all they can to flush what has transpired for the last week and a half and play as if it's a brand-new season.
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