Toronto's Playoff Chances Weakened By Interleague Play

The Toronto Blue Jays are a very respectable 34-25 against American League opponents. But interleague games are killing the Blue Jays' playoff chances. That's because they have lost six such games so far.

If they had won all six of their interleague games, the Toronto Blue Jays would be 40-25, in first place by a game. That was really not too much to hope for. Because it's not like Toronto has lost its interleague games to National League leaders like the Dodgers, Brewers or Phillies.

Instead, the Blue Jays dropped three games to the Atlanta Braves, in a stadium where the lowly Pittsburgh Pirates managed to tie a series 2-2. And that's after they traded Nate McLouth to the Braves, for whom he won two games. The three-game loss to the Florida Marlins, another team the Pirates feast on, was equally inexplicable. Maybe Toronto needs to trade for more "Bautistas" (former Pirates).

Apart from Toronto, the American League teams have the advantage in Interleague play. So Toronto is not merely doing poorly in such games; Toronto is doing worse "on the curve"  than other American League teams.

The Blue Jays are dominant against other American League teams, with the possible exceptions of the Red Sox and Yankees. But the Blue Jays don't look anything like champs against National League teams. That would bode poorly for them if, by some miracle, they made it to the world series.

It's still early count out the Blue Jays. But they must now be regarded as long shots. There were many obstacles to their making the playoffs this years. But it's too bad that it had to be this, an otherwise extraneous factor.