MLB wild-card roundup: Blue Jays eliminated, clinches postponed

It was a rough day for most teams in the playoff hunt across Major League Baseball.

In the American League, the Baltimore Orioles were Wednesday's clear winners by sweeping a doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays to keep their long odds of a post-season berth alive.

For the Blue Jays, the pair of losses officially eliminated them from playoff contention just one year after going to the World Series.

Helping Baltimore's hopes stay alive was both AL Central contenders having their respective win streaks snapped as the Cleveland Guardians lost to the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox to the Kansas City Royals.

It also meant that Cleveland kept its one-game lead atop the division.

In the AL West, the Texas Rangers also lost to the New York Mets, meaning that they are at risk of falling further behind the Houston Astros — who were facing the Seattle Mariners later Wednesday night.

Had they managed to win, both the Guardians and White Sox would have clinched a post-season berth with the Rangers' loss.

Speaking of missed clinch opportunities, the three National League wild-card leaders missed their chance on Wednesday.

The Chicago Cubs needed either a win over the Miami Marlins or an Arizona Diamondbacks loss to the Colorado Rockies to clinch, and neither scenario unfolded.

The Philadelphia Phillies needed a win over the Milwaukee Brewers to set in motion their clinching scenarios, but ultimately lost as well.

And finally, the San Diego Padres cannot clinch even if they beat the Los Angeles Dodgers later Wednesday, as Arizona's triumph eliminated that possibility.

Houston: at Athletics, 9:40 p.m. (Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet+) Cleveland : at Boston, 6:45 p.m. (Sportsnet Ontario) Chicago White Sox: at Kansas City, 2:10 p.m. Texas: vs. NY Mets, 2:35 p.m. (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+) Baltimore: Off

San Diego: at Dodgers, 10:10 p.m. Chicago Cubs: vs. Marlins, 2:20 p.m. Philadelphia: vs. Brewers, 6:05 p.m. Arizona: at Rockies, 3:10 p.m.

BALTIMORE — Pete Alonso hit his 41st home run of the season, Chris Bassitt took a shutout into the sixth inning and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday, eliminating the defending American League champions from the post-season race.