Sweet relief: Toronto bullpen stands tall vs. O’s

TORONTO — The Blue Jays bullpen has taken its fair share of criticism throughout the season, but it came through in a big way in Toronto’s 5-2 victory over the Orioles in Tuesday’s American League Wild Card Game.

After six innings of two-run ball from Marcus Stroman, five Toronto relievers combined to throw five innings of near-perfect baseball, allowing a single walk over that span to help vault the team into the AL Division Series vs. the Rangers starting Thursday in Texas at 4:30 p.m. ET (TBS in the U.S., Sportsnet in Canada).

The Blue Jays became the first team to reach the postseason with 30-plus losses from their bullpen. Toronto relievers finished the season with 32 losses, while the Blue Jays bullpen also ranked fourth in the American League in blown saves (22) and 12th in ERA (4.11).

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Toronto relievers especially struggled down the stretch, with a 4.55 ERA in September. By contrast, Orioles relievers led the AL with a 3.40 ERA — 1.89 in the season’s final month — and ranked 14th with just 14 blown saves all season.

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