The American League East was a close and hard-fought race for most of the season, and three teams from the division made the playoffs. Two of them will battle on Tuesday night, with the Baltimore Orioles visiting the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2016 American League Wild Card Game at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Orioles vs. Blue Jays 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch AL Wild Card Game online
Toronto won 10 of 19 games against Baltimore in 2016
Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images
The game is scheduled for a first pitch at 8:08 p.m. ET, televised by TBS.
Both Baltimore and Toronto won their final regular season games on Sunday and secured Wild Card berths, each finishing with 89 wins. The Blue Jays get to host this one-game matchup thanks to beating the Orioles in 10 of their 19 meetings during the regular season.
The Blue Jays beat the division champion Boston Red Sox on Sunday on the road, and will return home, where the Blue Jays were 46-35 in 2016. The Orioles, who spent 93 game days in first place in 2016, ended the season just 39-42 away from home, but won their final five road series in September to secure their playoff drive.
Power is the name of the game for both teams, with the Blue Jays hitting 221 home runs in 2016, fourth in the majors, lead by Edwin Encarnacion (.263/.357/.529, 42 home runs) and reigning MVP Josh Donaldson (.284/.404/.549, 37 home runs).
The Orioles hit even more long balls, leading the majors with 253 home runs, including major league leader Mark Trumbo hitting a career-high 47. He was joined by first baseman Chris Davis (..221/.332/.459, 38 home runs) and budding superstar Manny Machado (.294/.343/.533, 37 home runs).
Baltimore and Toronto were two of four major league teams in 2016 with six players to hit 20 home runs. The others were the National League East-winning Washington Nationals and the St. Louis Cardinals, who won 86 games and missed out on a National League Wild Card spot by one game.
Marcus Stroman gets the start on the mound for Toronto, after putting up a 4.37 ERA in 32 starts and 204 innings during the regular season. The right-hander has lasted seven innings in each of his last two starts, including last week against the Orioles, but suffered a tough-luck September, going 0-5 in six starts despite a 3.41 ERA.
Chris Tillman, the Orioles’ opening day starter this season, starts for Baltimore on Tuesday. He was 1-0 with three no-decisions in four starts against Toronto in 2016, with a 3.63 ERA, 16 strikeouts and nine walks in 22⅓ innings.
The winner of Tuesday night’s Wild Card Game will advance to play the Texas Rangers, winners of the American League West, in the American League Division Series, beginning in Arlington on Thursday.
Ernie Johnson will call Tuesday’s game for TBS, the home of every American League playoff game this postseason. He will be joined by analysts Ron Darling and Cal Ripken Jr. in the booth, and reporter Sam Ryan. ESPN Radio will also carry the game, with Jon Sciambi and Chris Singleton on the call.
AL Wild Card Game info
When: 8:08 p.m. ET
Where: Rogers Centre, Toronto
TV: TBS
Radio: ESPN Radio
Online: Postseason.TV & Watch TBS app
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