Blue Jays Move Into AL Wild-Card Position

The Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Kansas City Royals 4-3 on Saturday, completing a weekend-series sweep and moving into the American League’s third wild-card position. Kazuma Okamoto went 4-for-5 with two RBIs, including the go-ahead single in the seventh inning, while Nathan Lukes added three hits and an RBI. Max Scherzer allowed three runs over 5 2/3 innings, and Louis Varland earned his 33rd save as Toronto improved to 72-71 and won seven of its last eight games. Toronto tied Cleveland, which lost 6-0 to Detroit, and holds the tiebreaker after winning the season series against the Guardians. With 19 games remaining, Toronto faces a crowded playoff race, including several games against fellow wild-card contenders, after rebounding from a July stretch when it fell 10 games below .500 despite significant trade-deadline departures.