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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) \u2014 The Toronto Blue Jays became the first American League team to secure a spot in the postseason on Sunday with an 8-5 win<\/a><\/span> over the Kansas City Royals.<\/p>\n The AL-best and AL East-leading Blue Jays locked up a playoff spot with a week remaining in the regular season after a less-than-stellar start of 16-20 in early May and trailing by as many as eight games in the division in late May.<\/p>\n \u201cI remember back when we were in Tampa in May, we weren\u2019t playing very well and we got swept there,\u201d Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. \u201cI think these guys did a great job of rallying around each other, but the turning point was really when we came out of Tampa and went into the Texas series.\u201d<\/p>\n This is Toronto\u2019s third playoff berth in four years and fourth in six seasons. They missed the postseason in 2021 and 2024. Playoff success has been elusive for the Blue Jays, who haven\u2019t won a postseason game since 2016. And, unlike the past three trips, they hope this year they won\u2019t have to play in the AL wild-card round as they try to win their first division title since 2015 as they close out the regular season with a six-game homestand against Boston and Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could feel it with this group in spring training,\u201d Schneider said. \u201cI know that sounds really cliche, but when you get a group of men that are committed to the same goal, you can do things like this.\u201d<\/p>\n The Blue Jays\u2019 90-66 record is tops in the AL and they lead their division by 2 1\/2 games over the New York Yankees. If Toronto wins the AL East and has one of the two best records in the league, it will advance to the AL Divisional Series, which starts October 4. The last time Toronto made it that far was nine years ago.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just so happy for them,\u201d Schneider said. \u201cIt\u2019s hard at this level for everyone to put their egos aside and to play for one another. It\u2019s so cool to see these guys completely happy for one another when they get the job done no matter who it is. This is the most fulfilling team I\u2019ve ever been a part of with different characters, different skillsets, guys coming together for one common goal which is what\u2019s important now. This is something you always celebrate.\u201d<\/p>\n The Blue Jays are trying to win their first World Series since 1993.<\/p>\n \u201cToday we go back to the postseason, but the journey is not over yet,\u201d Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said. \u201cWe still want to win the division over the next six games. Since spring training, everyone has been together and when you see a team like that you start believing.\u201d<\/p>\n Toronto snapped a four-game losing streak with Sunday\u2019s win, and after the game popped Champagne in the visitor\u2019s clubhouse in Kansas City.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n AP MLB: https:\/\/apnews.com\/MLB<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n