First pitch: Tuesday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: Baltimore +140, Toronto -150, Total: 8.5

The Blue Jays host the division-rival Orioles in the American League Wild Card game, with a chance to play the Rangers in the ALDS on the line.

The Orioles and the Blue Jays finished the regular season with identical 89-73 records, and will play a winner-take-all Wild Card game in Toronto for the opportunity to play the Rangers in the American League Division Series. After much anticipation and uncertainty, Buck Showalter has tabbed RHP Chris Tillman (16-6, 3.77 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) as his starter, and he’ll be opposed by RHP Marcus Stroman (9-10, 4.37 ERA, 1.29 WHIP). The Jays, who took two of three from the Red Sox this past weekend, had the worst September record of all 10 playoff teams. The Orioles avoided a massive choke—and some potential final-day drama—by taking two of three from the Yankees in their final series of the season. These two clubs battled all season long, with Toronto barely taking the season series, 10-9. At the Rogers Centre, the Jays went 6-4 against the Orioles. These teams met in Toronto just last week, with the O’s taking two of three. The Orioles went just 39-42 on the road this season, while John Gibbons’ team posted a very solid 46-35 mark at home. The Blue Jays are in the postseason for the second consecutive season; the O’s are in for the first time since 2014.

The Orioles were the most powerful team in the American League (253 HR – 1st in AL) during the regular season, led by RF Mark Trumbo (.256, 47 HR, 108 RBI), who led the AL in homers, and 1B Chris Davis (.221, 38 HR, 84 RBI). The Orioles’ best overall player, however, is indisputably 3B Manny Machado (.294, 37 HR, 96 RBI). 2B Jonathan Schoop (.267, 25 HR, 82 RBI) and CF Adam Jones (.265, 29 HR, 83 RBI) also hit 25-plus dingers. DH Pedro Alvarez (.249, 22 HR, 39 RBI) is 3-for-8 with a homer off Stroman, and Machado (3-for-12) has homered off him. Jones (6-for-15) has hit him well, and C Matt Wieters (.243, 17 HR, 66 RBI) is 5-for-14 against him with a pair of blasts. The Orioles won all four of Tillman’s starts against the Jays this season. He went 1-0, allowing nine runs in 22 1/3 inning. For his career, he’s 5-10 against the Jays with a 5.18 ERA.

Tillman will have to be very careful with 3B Josh Donaldson (.284, 37 HR, 99 RBI)—the reigning AL MVP—who finished fourth in the AL in WAR, and 1B Edwin Encarnacion (.263, 42 RBI, 127 RBI), who finished tied for third in homers and tied for first in RBIs. Though they had down years, SS Troy Tulowitzki (.254, 24 HR, 79 RBI), RF Michael Saunders (.253, 24 HR, 57 RBI), DH Jose Bautista (.234, 22 HR, 69 RBI) and C Russell Martin (.231, 20 HR, 74 RBI) remain imposing threats. Toronto has seen a ton of Tillman, and he’s had difficulty keeping the Jays in the yard. Bautista is 12-for-45 against him with three homers, Donaldson is 9-for-35 with a homer and five doubles, Encarnacion is 17-for-58 with three homers, CF Kevin Pillar (.266, 7 HR, 53 RBI) is 8-for-23 with three homers and Tulowitzki is 5-for-12 with three homers. In four starts against the O’s this season, Stroman went 0-2 (Toronto went 1-3) and allowed 18 earned runs in 23 innings. For his career, Stroman is 2-3 against Baltimore with a 5.84 ERA.