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USATSI

The Toronto Blue Jays continued their hot play as of late on Sunday, blowing out the Baltimore Orioles by a 22-7 final (box score) to earn their 11th victory in 12 games. 

Every Blue Jays starter recorded at least one hit on Sunday, and six of the nine notched two or more. The Jays also combined for five home runs, including a pair from Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who drove in seven runs over the course of the afternoon. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. meanwhile, hit his 44th home run to tie him with Los Angeles Angels two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani for the majors' lead.

In addition to Gurriel, the Blue Jays had three other players drive in at least three runs: outfielder Teoscar Hernández (five, with four coming on a grand slam); catcher Danny Jansen (four); and infielder Breyvic Valera. 

The Blue Jays came into play on Sunday with one of the best offenses in the majors. As a team, they ranked first in home runs; second in wRC+ (a FanGraphs advanced metric that adjusts for ballpark and other variables); and third in runs scored. Sunday's outburst should be enough for Toronto to move into second in that last category.

Indeed, the Blue Jays owe the Orioles a thank you for the weekend's impact on their statistics. Including Saturday's doubleheaders, the Blue Jays scored 44 runs in three games. (The Blue Jays also scored three runs in Friday's series opener, which they lost.)

Toronto entered Sunday tied with the New York Yankees for the American League's second wild card spot. The Yankees will conclude their series against the New York Mets on Sunday night. A Yankees loss would give the Blue Jays sole possession of that wild card spot. A Yankees win, however, would maintain the tie. The Blue Jays and Yankees have three head-to-head games remaining in late September.