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Sports

Blue Jays Stomp Orioles to Win First Division Title since 1993

The Toronto Blue Jays are American League East champs.

One year after watching the Baltimore Orioles clinch the division at their expense, the Toronto Blue Jays returned the favour in a resounding way.

The Blue Jays will finish the 2015 season atop the American League East standings for the first time since 1993 after crushing the Orioles, 15–2, in the first game of a doubleheader at Camden Yards on Wednesday. Marcus Stroman struck out eight over a season-high eight innings, while the Blue Jays blasted three homers to win their first AL East title in 22 years and book a date in the Division Series.

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Toronto, which secured a postseason berth over the weekend, surged during the second half after general manager Alex Anthopoulos made a flurry of trades, including the acquisitions of All-Stars David Price and Troy Tulowitzki, to transform the team from contender to legit powerhouse. The playoff drought was the longest in baseball.

The team's 92 wins represent its most since 1993, when the club repeated as World Series champions on a Joe Carter walk-off homer. The club record for wins in a season is 99, set in 1985.

If the Blue Jays win out, they'll finish with 97 victories, which would represent the second most in franchise history.

The Blue Jays' ALDS opponent is still to be determined, but the club is guaranteed at least two more home games at what's recently been a sold out and electrifying Rogers Centre. One of those opponents could be the division-rival Yankees, who lost two of three to the Blue Jays during an exhilarating series at Rogers Centre last week. The Blue Jays won the season series 13–6.

Toronto's next goal is securing the best record in the AL, which would give it home-field advantage throughout the duration of the postseason. The Blue Jays carry a two-game lead over the Central Division-leading Kansas City Royals heading into Wednesday night's action with five contests to play.