Can the Toronto Blue Jays Maintain Lead in AL East?

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00:00If I ask you today, on July 25th, the Toronto Blue Jays with a four-and-a-half-game lead,

00:05do they hold this lead throughout August and September and win this division?

00:09And if they don't, who do you like behind them?

00:12Yeah, I don't think they do, Donnie.

00:15And obviously, I still think it's the Yankees' division here to get done.

00:20And I'll tell you why I'm not sold on the Blue Jays just yet is look at their home road splits, Donnie.

00:27This is a different team on the road than they are at home.

00:31They have been great at home.

00:33They've crushed the ball at home.

00:34But on the road, they are a different team.

00:37I don't know that that all of a sudden changes.

00:40They've gotten way better production out of the bullpen than anybody thought they might hear.

00:46But ultimately, that starting rotation, I mean, who brings you the most confidence?

00:53I mean, who in a series, Donnie, you're going to go,

00:55well, you don't want to face Jose Barrios.

00:57What, Gaussman?

00:59Bassett only wins at the Rogers Center.

01:02You know, he's worse on the road.

01:04So, like, Toronto's a great story.

01:06They started off slow.

01:07They really ramped it up.

01:09But a team with this kind of home road split scares me a little bit.

01:13Yeah, it is.

01:14It's interesting there because you're right.

01:16And also, these are great hitters' ballparks.

01:18It used to be like, oh, man, Tampa's a terrible hitting ballpark.

01:20All five of those teams have great scenarios.

01:22But you're right about this because the thought process right now on the Toronto Blue Jays is,

01:26boy, they knocked the cover off the baseball.

01:27They've been sensational.

01:28Well, look at the runs scored for the year.

01:30They got 485, which might seem okay.

01:32But then you say, hey, Yankees got 530.

01:34The Red Sox got 510.

01:36483 for the Tampa Bay Rays.

01:37Only two runs behind them.

01:39And even the Orioles are struggling at 416, way in the back of the pack.

01:43It'll be interesting to see how it plays out down the stretch in the American League East.

01:45But right now, the Jays hold those cards where one of these teams can get hot,

01:49one of these teams can make some change at the deadline,

01:51and sort of catch that current and see if they can win the AL East.

01:54Flip it over to the central.

01:55We'll keep it quick on this one again.

01:57We don't think anybody's catching the Tigers, right?

01:59Like, you would have to see one of the most epic collapses in Major League Baseball history

02:02for them to just get knocked out because the Guardians were in cell mode five days ago.

02:07Same thing with the Royals, the Twins, and the White Sox.

02:09But now you're sort of giving them a little bit of lifeblood.

02:11It's like, hey, how long can this losing streak go?

02:13Can you lose 20 of 24 games and we can get back into the race?

02:17Which is an honest assessment.

02:19The Tigers, for us, Joe, they're winning this division, right?

02:24It would be shocking if they didn't.

02:27I mean, they did exactly what they needed to do.

02:30They won that division in the first half because they played unbelievable.

02:34But I also think it's fair to say, Donnie, they played well over their heads in that first

02:40half.

02:41Schedule favored them.

02:43They got great production up and down the lineup.

02:46And yeah, well, that's all gone away now.

02:48And outside of Scooble, there isn't one pitcher they can throw out there on the mound where

02:53you're like, that's all right.

02:54They're going to be fine.

02:55They're going to snap.

02:56No, it's not, unfortunately.

02:58So it's Scooble or bust right now for them.

03:01Congrats.

03:02Win the Central.

03:02Well, what happens after that, Donnie?

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