AL wild-card roundup: Blue Jays on cusp of elimination

The Toronto Blue Jays could be eliminated from the playoff race as early as Tuesday.

That fate hangs over the Blue Jays after they lost 4-3 to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday.

The loss dropped the Blue Jays 3.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox for the third wild-card spot in the American League, with five games to go. The Blue Jays will be eliminated on Tuesday with a loss to the Orioles, a White Sox win over the Royals and a Guardians win over the Red Sox.

The Blue Jays were the only team in the playoff race in action on Monday. Here is how the standings sit after Monday's action:

Toronto: at Baltimore, 6:35 p.m., Sportsnet, Sportsnet+ Cleveland : at Boston, 6:45 p.m. Chicago White Sox: at Kansas City, 7:40 p.m., Sportsnet+ Texas: vs. NY Mets, 8:05 p.m. Houston: at Seattle, 9:40 p.m.

BALTIMORE — Pete Alonso homered twice, including a two-run shot in the eighth inning that lifted the Baltimore Orioles to a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.

The Orioles are on the verge of elimination in the American League wild-card race, but Alonso has been terrific in his first season with the team. He has 40 home runs — the fourth time he's reached that mark in a season — and he's opened a nine-RBI lead on Triple Crown hopeful Yordan Alvarez of Houston.

In fact, Alonso might be the one who ends up leading the AL in homers and RBIs. He's one home run behind Tampa Bay slugger Junior Caminero.

The Blue Jays brought in submarine right-hander Tyler Rogers (2-3) to face Alonso, who became just the second right-handed hitter to homer off him over the last two seasons.

Yennier Cano (4-3) won in relief for the Orioles, and Rico Garcia worked a perfect ninth for his 10th save.

Nathan Lukes and George Springer hit RBI singles during Toronto's three-run first inning, but the Blue Jays fell 3 1/2 games behind the idle Chicago White Sox for the final wild card in the AL.

Trey Yesavage returned to the mound for the Blue Jays after knee inflammation sent him to the injured list in early August. He pitched only two innings, allowing a home run to Alonso in the first.

Gunnar Henderson homered in the sixth for the Orioles and finished a double shy of the cycle.

After the start was delayed 47 minutes because of rain, the first four Toronto batters reached base. Shane Baz was called for a pitch-clock violation with the count full to Brett Bateman. Then he issued another walk to Alejandro Kirk on a debatable checked-swing call.