Duke in the MLB: Stroman lifts Jays to division crown

Former Duke ace Marcus Stroman and the Toronto Blue Jays had to wait an extra day to clinch their first American League East title since 1993 after a rainout Tuesday. But the suspense didn’t last long during Wednesday’s makeup game against the Baltimore Orioles. Stroman pitched eight strong innings, giving up just one run on five hits with eight strikeouts, and his lineup gave him more than enough support in the team's 15-2 rout. Following the game, it seemed as if the former Blue Devil was more than pleased with his performance. 

.@MStrooo6 just OWNING the dance floor. @Budweiser #OwnOctober pic.twitter.com/5bDMBCDGMr

— MLB GIFS (@MLBGIFs) October 1, 2015

By winning their division, Toronto will avoid the pressure-packed one-game wild card playoff and began preparation for the American League Division Series. 

Stroman was widely expected to miss the entire season when he tore his ACL in February, but he made a quick recovery and has won all four of his starts with an ERA of 1.67 since his return. The Medford, N.Y., native's next start will likely be in Game 2 of the American League Division Series next weekend—assuming the Blue Jays ace David Price starts Game 1—against an opponent yet to be determined. Price and Stroman form a dynamic duo atop the team's playoff rotation to go along with the best offense in baseball, making Toronto a favorite to win the World Series heading into the postseason.

But Stroman is not the only Duke alum who appears to be headed to the playoffs. Former Blue Devil Chris Capuano made a relief appearance in the New York Yankees’ loss Monday night to the Boston Red Sox and struck out both batters he faced. The Yankees are almost certainly headed to the American League wild card game to open the postseason and will look to advance to the division series with a victory. Capuano has struggled during his time with the Yankees and has a 7.81 ERA in nearly 40 innings of action. 

Speaking of postseason success, former Duke star Jahlil Okafor—who helped the team to a national title a year ago—took to the diamond to throw the ceremonial first pitch last Friday before his hometown Chicago Cubs hosted the Pittsburgh Pirates. The dominant big man stepped to the mound sporting a Cubs jersey and threw a perfect strike, but his Cubs lost the game 3-2.