Toronto Blue Jays clinch playoff berth with Baltimore Orioles' loss to Boston Red Sox

TORONTO — The Blue Jays clinched a postseason berth Thursday without taking the field.

Toronto was assured of an American League wild-card berth when the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-3.

If Toronto holds its current position as the first of the AL's three wild cards, the Blue Jays would open a best-of-three wild-card series at Rogers Centre next week.

Toronto became the fourth AL team to clinch a playoff berth, joining division champions Houston, the New York Yankees and Cleveland. The Astros and Yankees have first-round byes.

The Blue Jays last went to the playoffs in 2020, when they were knocked out with two straight losses to Tampa Bay.