The Toronto Blue Jays were in fourth place on July 28. They had just lost to the Philadelphia Phillies. They had a record of 50-51, which put them in fourth place in the American League East, 8 games behind the New York Yankees and 3 games behind the Minnesota Twins for the second Wild Card spot. The Blue Jays were floundering with a 9-13 record in July. They needed something to happen to get them back in to the playoff race.
So the front office did something about it. On July 28, they traded for Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins of the Colorado Rockies for Jose Reyes and three minor league pitchers. Then, on July 30, they traded for David Price of the Detroit Tigers for three more minor league pitchers. They have been on fire ever since.
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On August 13, they were in first place in the American League East, a half game ahead of the Yankees. They had won 11 games in a row, and have won 15 of 16 games since acquiring Tulowitzki. Tulowitzki hit 3 home runs and had 6 RBIs in that span. Price was 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 15 innings since joining the Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays still have their work cut out for them. They play the Yankees 10 more times this season, and that will probably decide who wins the East this season. Twenty-nine of their final 46 games will be against division rivals. Their three remaining road trips include a trip through Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Texas; a 10-game trip through Boston, New York, and Atlanta; and the season-ending trip through Baltimore and Tampa.
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The Blue Jays haven’t secured a spot in the playoffs, but they are in the driver’s seat. In just two weeks, they went from fourth place to first place, and they do not show signs of slowing down. They made a statement at the trade deadline and their moves have payed off. Now we will see if they have what it takes to keep it up for the next seven weeks.
