"We Are Better": Blue Jays Give Orioles Bulletin Board Material

The Toronto Blue Jays head into a huge 4-game series with the Baltimore Orioles on Labor Day Monday, with a slim 2.5 game lead (three in the loss column) on the O's for the 3rd and final Wild Card spot in the American League. 

And while the Jays come into the series with a 3-game win streak, they may have inadvertently given the Orioles some bulletin board material, with the comments of starting pitcher Ross Stripling on Sunday:

Ross Stripling on Big Baltimore series. “Good teams take care of business. We understand we are the better team.” #Bluejays

— Rob Longley (@longleysunsport) September 4, 2022

“Good teams take care of business. We understand we are the better team," said Stripling. Whoops. 

Whether or not that's the case, it might not be something you want to let the other team you're battling for a playoff spot hear you say. 

Other Jays also weren't shy to talk about how big this series with Baltimore is.  

Cavan Biggio didn't mince words talking about the upcoming four games with the Orioles.

"This is a huge series for us," Biggio said.

Doubleheader from Camden Yards begins at 12:30 pm ET tomorrow om @Sportsnet

— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) September 4, 2022

"This is a huge series for us," said Craig Biggio, in advance of Monday's double-header. But no proclamations on who's better. At least for now. 

The Orioles, in fact, lead the season series 6-3. And Baltimore's birds are also aware of the largeness, shall we say, of this series. 

“It’s massive. Absolutely,” said Orioles starter Spenser Watkins. “Anybody that looks at the standings, you see where we’re at and where the Blue Jays are at. This is a defining series late in the season. So, we’re hungry and ready to go after it.”

Their manager, Brandon Hyde, was also making sure to praise Toronto, and not give them any bulletin board material. 

“Jays are an extremely talented team," said Hyde. "We’re gonna face four really good starters. They are taking care of business, they swept Pittsburgh, and they have really good arms in the ‘pen, and they are extremely talented offensively."

Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports, Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports