Toronto Blue Jays celebrate on the field after clinching the A.L East division at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore. PICTURE: USA TODAY Sports

Reuters
Baltimore

The Toronto Blue Jays clinched their first division title in 22 years by clobbering the Baltimore Orioles 15-2 Wednesday behind a career high five-hit performance from shortstop Ryan Goins.
The Jays fittingly captured the American League East Division with a blowout victory as they lead the league in that category, having scored 10 or more runs 26 times this season.
“It’s the ultimate right now,” Toronto manager John Gibbons said. “To be honest, we think we have more ahead of us. It was a big hurdle to get over. It had been so damn long but I’m proud of our guys.
“That’s what happens when you throw a lot of talent together, and they get after it every night. Good things happen.”  
Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista and Justin Smoak each hit home runs for the Jays in the first game of a doubleheader against the Orioles at Camden Yards. Bautista’s solo homer in a five-run ninth inning was his 40th of the season.
The Blue Jays last claimed a division title in 1993 when they captured the World Series. That also was their last Major League Baseball playoff berth.  
Toronto has won six straight and are now setting their sights on finishing with the best record in the American League, which would give them home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. The Orioles beat the Jays 8-1 in the second game of the doubleheader.
A series of mid-season moves by general manager Alex Anthopoulos really paid off for the Blue Jays, who are 43-16 since late July. “We played good baseball,” pitcher David Price said. “I’ve done my part and so has everybody else on this team. It’s not one person. It’s not one trade. It’s everybody with one goal in sight, and that’s what we’ve done.”

‘Dangerous offensively’
This title means a lot to catcher Russell Martin, who’s a Canadian and is thrilled about being able to play in the playoffs on his home soil.
“We’re dangerous offensively,” Martin said. “We’re dangerous on the mound. We play awesome defence. So if somebody’s going to beat us, they’re going to have to play tremendously.”  
Goins went five-for-five and had a walk and two runs as Toronto finished with 18 hits.
Starting pitcher Marcus Stroman gave up just one run in eight solid innings. He surrendered five hits, striking out eight and walking two as he rarely got into trouble.
The right-hander has won all four starts since returning from a torn ACL in his left knee suffered during spring training. He has allowed five runs in 27 innings overall, only giving up a solo homer to Baltimore left fielder Steve Pearce in the seventh inning on Wednesday.
Veteran right-hander LaTroy Hawkins, who is retiring after the season, came on in the ninth to ice the victory.
Designated hitter Encarnacion hit a two-run homer in the seventh and first baseman Smoak added a solo home run in the ninth.
The struggling Orioles have lost five consecutive contests and won’t finish with a winning record for the first time since 2011.
Baltimore won the East Division last year—clinching against Toronto at home.

Cards take NL Central title with win in Pittsburgh
The St. Louis Cardinals waited until after their game against the Pittsburgh Pirates ended on Wednesday before celebrating their third successive National League Central title, though they could have started after the third inning. The Cardinals wrapped up the division title with an 11-1 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates as Jason Heyward had a third-inning grand slam among his three hits.
Starter Tyler Lyons also pitched seven scoreless innings in the second game of a double header. The Pirates had won the first game 8-2, which initially delayed the celebrations.
The Cardinals (100-59) reached 100 wins for the first time since 2005 on their way to a club-record fifth consecutive post-season appearance. “I was the guy who got the big hit but anybody on this team could be the hero,” Heyward said.
“We have guys up and down the lineup who can hit and a great pitching staff. That’s why we’re sitting here on Sept. 30 with 100 wins and a division title. We have a great team.”
The Pirates (96-63) are assured of finishing second to the Cardinals for the third consecutive year despite having the second-most wins in the major leagues.
“We really had to earn this,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.
“I knew it was going to come down to the wire because we were battling two great teams in our division in the Pirates and (Chicago) Cubs.
“It was a battle all year and it’s an accomplishment to come out on top.”
The Pirates will play in the one-game NL wild-card playoff for a third successive year, meeting the Cubs on Oct. 7.
Pittsburgh hold a 2-1/2 game lead for the first wild card and home-field advantage with four days left in the regular season.
The Cardinals will meet the wild-card winner in the best-of-five National League Division Series, which will open October 9 at St. Louis.
“We’ve still got to stay focused on right where we are,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.
“The ultimate goal hasn’t changed, to win a world championship. We’re just going to have go about it in a different method now.”