TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays have done well since the last time they lost a series.
That series loss was to the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre when they dropped the first two games and won the finale of a three-game series Aug. 14-16. The loss to the Yankees on Aug. 14 ended Toronto’s second 11-game winning streak of the season.
Since the loss on Aug. 15, they have won 14 of 18 games, including the rubber match of a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles, 10-4 on Sunday. The Blue Jays have won five straight series.
“We’ve been playing great,” manager John Gibbons said.
The Blue Jays hit the road for 10 games that includes a four-game series at Yankee Stadium against the New York Yankees who trail them by 1 1/2 games in the American League East after each team won Sunday.
The last time the Blue Jays visited New York, the swept the Yankees in three games Aug. 7-9.
That series falls between a three-game set at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox that opens Monday afternoon and a three-game series visit to Atlanta to play the Braves.
The Blue Jays are playing it cool.
“We’re thinking about trying to win games in Boston first,” said center fielder Kevin Pillar, who hit a home run on Sunday. “That’s kind of been our MO all season to try to win the game we’re playing that day. Boston’s been playing well, too. It’s a team in our division and a team that we compete against and we’re trying to win those games first.”
The Red Sox have won three in a row and seven of their past three to move to within one game of the fourth-place Orioles in the AL East. Boston is 37-34 at home this season.
The Blue Jays are 8-4 against the Yankees. But as the Blue Jays will remind you, first things first.