Toronto Blue Jays ended Boston Red Sox playoff hopes

Typically, it is difficult to point at just one team as the reason why another team misses the postseason. That is not the case with the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox.

The Red Sox have not exactly had a great season. At 75-84 entering Monday, and in the basement of the AL East, they have not been a threat for the postseason in months.

Boston Red Sox failures came at hands of Toronto Blue Jays

As a whole, the Red Sox were undone by their inability to win in the division. They were just 23-50 against the AL East, something that doomed them due to the unbalanced schedule. However, those issues were further magnified against the Blue Jays as they were 3-16 with a negative -70 run differential.

Take the Blue Jays out of the equation? The Red Sox have a 72-68 record and a +8 run differential. While that may not be enough for a playoff berth, the Red Sox would be more competitive in the division and postseason picture.

The same can be said for the Blue Jays. They would have a 74-66 record without the Red Sox on the schedule and a +19 run differential. Chances are, the Blue Jays would still be holding on to one of those postseason berths, but they would not have that home field advantage over the Mariners.

Sometimes, a team just dominates another team during the regular season. It happens – those teams are a bad matchup and weaknesses can be exploited. That is the case here as the Red Sox simply did not match up well against the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays, meanwhile, were able to exploit that advantage and turn it into a spot in the postseason.

The Boston Red Sox just could not beat the Toronto Blue Jays this season. Because of that, the Red Sox are home while the Blue Jays are in the playoffs.