Blue Jays take AL East lead with 10th straight win, Yankees loss
The surging Toronto Blue Jays have reached the summit.
With their 10-3 drubbing of the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday, combined with the New York Yankees' 2-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians, the Blue Jays have captured sole possession of the American League East.
| Team | Record | GB | L10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Jays | 63-52 | -- | 10-0 |
| Yankees | 61-51 | 0.5 | 3-7 |
It's the first time the Blue Jays have sat atop one of baseball's most competitive divisions this late in the season since 1993 - the same year they won their second consecutive World Series.
"We want the fans to get excited about it," Blue Jays starter R.A. Dickey told reporters. "We want people to really enjoy what's happening because it's a long time coming for the city and this team, and this country. But we can't afford to do that. We've got to keep things in perspective."
Related: 3 amazing stats from the Blue Jays' dominant streak
Toronto has been a team possessed since reloading its roster leading up to the trade deadline and closed an eight-game deficit in the division in just two weeks, thanks in large part to its current 10-game winning streak.
"It's great, don't get me wrong, but I think everyone in this club wants to be in first place on Game 162," Chris Colabello said after homering in Wednesday's win. "That's what's important."
| Last 10 Games | HR | Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Russell Martin | 0 | 4-30 (.133) |
| Justin Smoak | 2 | 6-30 (.200) |
| Ryan Goins | 1 | 7-28 (.250) |
| Josh Donaldson | 5 | 12-37 (.324) |
| Troy Tulowitzki | 2 | 7-38 (.184) |
| Ben Revere | 0 | 7-33 (.212) |
| Kevin Pillar | 0 | 5-34 (.147) |
| Jose Bautista | 4 | 12-41 (.292) |
| Edwin Encarnacion | 2 | 10-26 (.384) |
The Yankees, who sat atop the division for 40 straight days, have seen their offense all but disappear. Limited to a Brian McCann solo home run on Wednesday, the Bronx Bombers have dropped five straight games and have scored two or fewer runs in six of their last seven.