The Blue Jays face the Red Sox in a pivotal game for playoff positioning, despite already securing a postseason spot.

The Toronto Blue Jays, one game ahead of the Yankees in the AL East and already playoff-qualified, face the Boston Red Sox in a crucial matchup as both teams vie for optimal playoff positioning. With the Blue Jays having lost five of their last six, they turned to veteran Max Scherzer to start against Boston’s Garrett Crochet, who has a strong record against Toronto. The Red Sox, second in the AL wild-card race, aim to build momentum. Toronto activated Anthony Santander from the injured list and designated Alek Manoah for assignment. Both teams recognize the importance of the series, with the Blue Jays emphasizing they’re not playing with "house money" despite securing a postseason berth.