The Toronto Blue Jays are on a nine-game road stretch, playing the Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres each in a three-game series. They started with a win against Seattle on Friday, but have since lost three straight. On Monday, they fell to the Giants 10-1.
Now sitting at 42-49, the Blue Jays are 3.5 games back from an American wild card spot, with their postseason hopes being tested more than halfway into the season. With their final game before the All-Star break against the Padres on July 12, Toronto is near a much-needed break before picking things back up on July 17.
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However, with five more games until then, Blue Jays infielder Ernie Clement is remaining optimistic. After losing to the Giants on Monday, he spoke to MLB.com's Keegan Matheson, emphasizing that the team could be just a small play away from turning things around.
“When you’re not at your best, you’ve got to lean into your boys, into your teammates,” Clement said. “It’s close. I think it takes something super small just to get out of it. It could be as small as somebody beating out a routine ground ball or making a diving play in the field. Something little like that can jumpstart us and get us out of this. It’s really important that we emphasize that it’s not over.”
Going into the All-Star break last season, the Blue Jays looked like a completely different team. They sat at 55-41 and had a two-game lead over the New York Yankees for the AL East. They'd of course make a postseason appearance and advance to the World Series before losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It's not the same story this season, though. With Toronto sitting below and chasing a wild card spot, the margin for error is extremely narrow. With game two against the Giants on Tuesday, they have the opportunity to pick things up right away.
