The Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees are in the midst of a race for the American League East title with just a couple of games remaining.
Both teams entered Saturday with 92 wins. However, the Blue Jays own the tiebreaker over the Yankees, meaning the Yankees will have to win one more game than the Blue Jays to actually win the division. The Yankees have stormed back to make it a tight race after the Blue Jays had as much as a 6 1/2 game lead near the end of July.
Despite the high-stress race, Shane Bieber is embracing the pressure in the final two games of the season. Bieber came over at the trade deadline from the Cleveland Guardians.
“It’s awesome,” Bieber told Sportsnet after the Blue Jays’ win on Friday night. “It’s exactly what you want. The pressure, the anxieties, whatever you want to call it, it’s a privilege. It’s a fantastic spot to be in. I think we all recognize that. We’re embracing it.”
Many would think the Blue Jays are in a spot where they may be pressing. They seemingly had the division locked up, and are now fighting to win it. The team has already clinched a postseason berth, but winning the division is the difference between having to play a wild card series and a first-round bye.
The Blue Jays also have a chance to lock up home-field advantage in the American League if they win the division. There is plenty at stake in the final two games, but Bieber is fine with that.
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