Price's final start could cause chaos for Blue Jays

One year after pitching the Blue Jays into the postseason, David Price could put Toronto on a very difficult route to the playoffs with a strong start Sunday.

The Boston Red Sox left-hander will be on the mound when the two teams square off for the final game of the regular season - though manager John Farrell acknowledged Price's innings will be limited.

The Blue Jays will counter with Aaron Sanchez.

Price is 1-1 with a 2.66 ERA in three starts against his former team this season, though he hasn't been sharp of late. The five-time All-Star owns a 6.52 ERA over his last three outings, with opponents hitting .338. The Red Sox will want Price to have a clean start before he takes the ball for Game 2 of the ALDS.

"He's under a lot of scrutiny as we know, and yet you look at the body of work that he's put in for us and he's been a very strong starter for us," Farrell told reporters.

With a win against the Blue Jays combined with a Cleveland Indians' loss to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, the Red Sox will claim home-field advantage in the ALDS. The stakes are much higher, however, for the Blue Jays.

Toronto could clinch the top wild-card spot with a win over the Red Sox. A loss for the Blue Jays could make things much more difficult.

If Toronto loses and the Orioles win, the Baltimore will take top spot. If the Blue Jays lose, Orioles win, and the Tigers win their next two games, Toronto would be forced to play in a Game 163 tiebreaker with Detroit, with the winner going on to play the Orioles in the wild-card game. If the Blue Jays and Orioles both lose and the Tigers win both of their remaining games, then the three teams will finish with identical records.

Price went 9-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 11 starts with the Blue Jays last season before signing a $217-million deal with the Red Sox over the winter.