Kim hits pinch-hit HR, Orioles beat Jays 3-2

RF Jose Bautista, a free agent at the end of the season, probably wouldn’t mind signing with the Red Sox. However, since the Blue Jays have already won their season series with the Orioles (10-8), they would host any potential wild card game with the Orioles next Tuesday on TBS. “I feel bad for Osuna also”. “His ball was moving”.

NOTES: Blue Jays 2B Devon Travis (sore left shoulder) returned to the lineup Thursday. They went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position Thursday. “It falls on guys like me to drive the runs in and we have to do a better job”. They’d have to wrap up the regular season in New York Oct. 2, fly to Seattle for one game and then (if they win) fly to Toronto or Detroit for the Wild Card game – all without a day off.

“It’s been a tough month, really, at the wrong time”, Gibbons said. “I’m not anxious at all”. “Obviously we’ve got to clean it up and get these victories we need to secure the playoff spot”.

The Blue Jays appeared poised to open a three-game lead on Wednesday as they held a 2-0 advantage after seven innings.

Ziegler, the right-handed submariner, allowed a single to Josh Donaldson and walked Edwin Encarnacion.

“I thought Stroman pitched a nice ballgame, but we couldn’t get anything going for him”, said Gibbons. Stroman is winless in eight starts. Seattle must win out and hope the others badly stumble. He went 2-2 with a 3.18 ERA in five starts against the Red Sox this season. He walked two and struck out five over 6 2/3 innings.

“(Jimenez) was in command pretty much all night”, Orioles catcher Matt Wieters said. I would point back to the 2014 AL East clincher against Toronto, where Jimenez started out of the bullpen and came up big for the Birds. “He threw the ball great”.

Hyun Soo Kim drove in Bourn – who drew a leadoff walk and stole second – on a two-out single to right field to give the Orioles a 3-0 lead. “You have to stay positive in this game – sometimes you just get beat”. “With Bumgarner on the mound, we’re going to have a good shot”. The homer came in his 66th at-bat over the past two seasons. If that scenario happened and the Mariners also finished with 87 wins, one team would host another team, and the victor would host the third team, with the victor of that second game earning the second wildcard spot.

The crowd of 47,791 was Toronto’s 39th sellout. The Blue Jays drew an AL-high 3,392,099 this season. They could be left out of the postseason hunt entirely if they collapse against the Yankees during the final series and allow two of the Blue Jays, Tigers and Mariners to pass them in the standings.

Baltimore Orioles: Baltimore plays a three-game series in NY. So instead of becoming a suspended game, the stats count and it was declared a tie – the first since Houston and Cincinnati went seven innings on June 30, 2005, before rain halted them. New York’s starter will be RHP Michael Pineda (6-11, 4.68).

Predictions: While the Rangers sit back and enjoy an off-day today before hosting the Tampa Bay Rays starting on Friday, Indians will conclude their series against the Tigers while the Red Sox will finish up with the Yankees.

Jeanmar Gomez (3-5) got just one out and gave up the four runs on three hits, two walks (one intentional) and a hit batter.