Blue Jays’ lead in AL East dips to two games with loss to Royals

KANSAS CITY — A postseason spot is sitting right in front of the Blue Jays, begging them to reach out and complete the long-obvious formality.

Theyâ€re suddenly taking their time, though, dragging this through yet another night and into yet another day. Saturdayâ€s 2-1 loss to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium was their fourth in a row. Thereâ€s nothing complex about this skid, either. In four games, theyâ€ve scored just three runs.

Once Detroit lost to Atlanta earlier in the day, all Toronto needed to satisfy the mathematics of a postseason spot was a win. Each day, that math grows simpler, but the Blue Jays are making this far more complicated than it needs to be. This isnâ€t even the meaningful clinch at this point, either.

Thatâ€s the American League East, and while the Blue Jays hold a tiebreaker over the Yankees, that lead has still shrunk to two games. Given that the Yanks close their season against the White Sox and Orioles, thereâ€s a sudden sense of urgency again to get this back on track and not only wrap up the division, but do it ahead of next weekend to allow Toronto a chance to exhale. Given how well things were going to start this week in Tampa, these arenâ€t conversations any of us expected to be having.

The answer? Thatâ€s up to the Blue Jays†offense. Shane Bieber was excellent on the mound Saturday, a pair of back-to-back home runs to Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino his only damage over 6 1/3 strong innings. The bullpen has turned a corner, too, but none of this works without the offense, which has proven capable of star performances and “all hands on deck†wins. These past four days, there has been neither.

“We havenâ€t been clicking,†manager John Schneider said. “I think thereâ€s a natural part of guys that puts a little pressure on themselves based on the standings and what other teams are doing. Youâ€ve got to just go play. Youâ€ve got to do whatâ€s gotten us here. If you got two hits yesterday, that doesnâ€t matter, go do it again today. If you got none, turn the page.â€

Daulton Varsho’s solo shot in the seventh was the Blue Jays†only sign of life on Saturday. This offense needs a jolt, not only for the sake of these clinches, but to enter the postseason with a sense of momentum.

“Weâ€ve got to have better at-bats. We will,†Schneider said. “Weâ€ve been a really good offense for the entire year. It gets magnified a little bit with where we are right now, but Iâ€m confident these guys will turn it around.â€

Itâ€s clear in stretches like this just how much the offense misses Bo Bichette, who is still in the early stages of rehabbing from his left knee sprain in hopes of returning for a potential AL Division Series. Perhaps Anthony Santander will be the unlikely boost, and could return as early as Tuesday after spending nearly four months on the IL. But some of these answers need to come from within.

This means Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who hasnâ€t recorded an extra-base hit since Sept. 7 (12 games). This means George Springer, whoâ€s been one of the best stories of the season in the Majors and deserves to land in the Top 10 of the AL MVP voting. It means this offense doing all of the things that have propelled the Blue Jays to the top of the AL.

“Everythingâ€s contagious. Youâ€re seeing guys get on, get over and in. The last three or four games, that hasnâ€t happened,†Springer said, “but thatâ€s no cause for panic. Thatâ€s no cause to go and try to do something you donâ€t know how to do. Our team understands who we are. We understand who we are offensively. Obviously, this is not the best stretch at the best time, but it doesnâ€t matter. Everything is still right in front of us.â€

It means, as Schneider has said since the moment Bichette landed on the IL, “everyone†doing their part.

It all sounds so easy — just do what youâ€ve done all along — but it gets more and more difficult as the season grows shorter. By the time this grueling road trip ends Sunday, itâ€s still possible, or perhaps even likely, that the Blue Jays are popping champagne. This is all about something bigger, though, and while itâ€s still sitting in front of them, they need to reach out and grab it with both hands.

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