Twin bill serves as Blue Jays' final tune-up for Wild Card Series

BALTIMORE -- After two days spent waiting out the rain and cold at Camden Yards, the Blue Jays got their 18-inning dress rehearsal Wednesday.

• AL Wild Card Game 1, pres. by Hankook Tire: Friday, 4 p.m. ET on ESPN

Neither a 5-4 loss or a 5-1 win mattered for the postseason picture, leaving the Blue Jays to finish the 2022 season 92-70, one win better than their record a year ago. Wednesday, though, was about getting through the final two regular-season games healthy and getting to the airport with all eyes on Friday’s Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series between the Blue Jays and Mariners.

• Postseason ticket information

With a 4:07 p.m. ET timeslot for Games 1 and 2, the Blue Jays set out to return home on Wednesday night. Both Toronto and Seattle will have a workout day at Rogers Centre on Thursday. After being eliminated on the final day in 2021, this group knows just how rare this opportunity is.

“We just talked about it as a group in [the clubhouse],” interim manager John Schneider said. “It’s a goal to be better every year. We talked about that in spring. We all know, over the last calendar year, the difference of one game. Whether it’s last year or this year. Hopefully that’s one small step forward in the regular season and one huge run in the postseason.”

For the Blue Jays, this feels like a “true” return to the postseason after runs in 2015 and ‘16 brought in crowds that players and coaches still talk about. Their brief appearance in the ‘20 Wild Card Series was a blip, but coming off a 60-game season with no fans in the stands, it didn’t feel the same. The Mariners, on the other hand, are in the postseason for the first time since ‘01 and desperate to bring a playoff atmosphere back to Seattle. They’d have to win the best-of-three series in Toronto to do that.

“They have really good pitching with their starters and their bullpen,” said manager John Schneider. “They have a unique blend of power and speed in their lineup. I’m looking forward to playing them. When we played them, we weren’t going great compared to right now. This is a good matchup for a variety of reasons. I’m looking forward to it.”

One source of value in Wednesday’s doubleheader was a final day of bullpen work for those who wanted it. With Thursday being an off-day, some veterans wanted to pitch Wednesday and stay in their groove for Game 1.

The early game featured Trevor Richards, Adam Cimber, Yimi Garcia and closer Jordan Romano, who finished the regular season with a 2.11 ERA and 36 saves, tied for sixth most in a single season in Blue Jays history. The later game was opened by David Phelps, Anthony Bass and Tim Mayza before the bulk relievers took over.

The bullpen battle is where the series against Seattle could be decided. The Blue Jays don’t have a traditional “super bullpen” some contenders carry, with multiple closers or a stable of arms throwing 100 mph, but they do have a deep group that makes the matchup game advantageous. Expect to see the Blue Jays be aggressive, especially with Romano, who has extended himself to pitch more than one inning nine times this season.

“These pitchers got the work they needed,” Schneider said. “We’ve been talking, and it’s just such a different animal come Friday night. Whether you haven’t played in four or five days or you played 18 innings today, you’re going to be ready to go. All things considered, though, we wanted to get guys in today to play sharp.”

Catcher Gabriel Moreno was one young player to make the most of the final day, launching his first MLB home run, a 399-foot three-run shot in Game 1. After catching that tilt, though, Moreno started in left field for Game 2, then moved to second and third base. It was a sudden fascinating shift for the 22-year-old who opened the season as Toronto’s No. 1 prospect. It’s too late in the year for Moreno to claim a real role at those positions this season, but the idea of him moving out from behind the dish is one of the more interesting storylines to watch next spring.

“He swung the bat extremely well,” Schneider said. “You feel pretty good putting him anywhere. He’s put the work in since he’s been here. He’s such a tremendous athlete. That play he made at third, we were kind of having some fun with Chapman after that. He looked fine and that’s just a credit to his athleticism.”

That’s the future, but in the present, the Blue Jays have exactly what they want sitting right in front of them. They’re heading home, and after 92 wins over 162 games, they’re 13 away from their ultimate goal of a World Series championship.