Blue Jays secure playoff berth

The Toronto Blue Jays are returning to the post-season. Toronto secured an American League playoff spot when the visiting Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 6-1 tonight.

TORONTO - The mood remained upbeat in the Toronto Blue Jays' clubhouse on Saturday despite a missed opportunity to clinch a playoff spot.

It helped that Toronto was still in charge of its playoff destiny. But a 7-5 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays has certainly increased the pressure with one day left in the regular season.

The worries subsided when the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 6-1 later Saturday to ensure the Jays would be in the playoffs.

“It's hectic, it's stressful and all that kind of stuff, but this is why you play,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “This is why you play 162 (games). We're actually doing it. We're playing 162 for a reason. It's exciting, it's up and down, back and forth, all that kind of stuff.

“But at the end of the day we control our own fate, so that part of it feels really good.”

Tampa Bay's Taylor Walls hit a two-run single off Jordan Hicks in the 10th inning to silence the sellout crowd of 42,097 at Rogers Centre. The Rays added another run on Junior Caminero's infield single.

Chris Devenski (6-4) gave up an RBI double to Bo Bichette in the bottom half before getting Kevin Kiermaier on a groundout as Toronto's magic number to clinch remained at one.