Orioles Clinch AL East Title with 8-2 Win Over Toronto Blue Jays

Baltimore Orioles’ fans cheered wildly, celebrating with the team as they clinched the American League East title in a 8-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays Tuesday night.

The Orioles will play again Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. against the Toronto Blue Jays at Camden Yards. Tickets can be purchased online.

The American League Division playoffs will start on Thursday, Oct. 2. Times have yet to be released, but the games will air on TBS.

• Do you think the Baltimore Orioles can take the World Series? Tell us in the comments section.

This is the first time the Orioles have taken the AL East title since 1997 and its second since 1983 when the team last won the World Series.

“The guys are having a great time, and they earned it,” Dan Duquette, the team’s executive vice president of baseball operations, told ESPN. “We’ve got some more work to do, and these guys know it, but congratulations to them on the division crown. They did a great job.”

The game also marks the Oriole’s first division-securing win on their home turf since 1979 and the earliest they took the division title (151st game) since 1971, according to The Washington Post.

“It’s everything I hoped for, man,” rightfielder Nick Markakis told ESPN. “It’s an awesome experience. We worked all season long to get where we are now. We got one step out of the way. Now we have a couple more steps to go.”

The Orioles are 42-23 in a division with the the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, the defending World Series champion.

Here are photos posted on social media from the game.

>> Fans and players celebrate after the Orioles win the AL East title. Credit: AnnapolisAbogadas (@RodriguezNanney) Twitter.