Ryan Flaherty is greeted by third base coach Bobby Dickerson as he rounds the bases after hitting a two-run homer in the fourth inning of the Orioles’ 5-2 win over Toronto on Monday night in Baltimore. (Patrick Semansky/Associated Press)

The Baltimore Orioles are close enough to their first division title since 1997 that there’s really no need for scoreboard watching and magic numbers.

Opening up their three-game series with the second-place Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night at Camden Yards, the Orioles’ path to the postseason was simple: Win two of the games and punch a ticket to the playoffs.

And Baltimore took one humongous step toward winning the American League East on Monday with their 5-2 victory, earning an opportunity to clinch the division title with a win Tuesday. It would be the first time they would celebrate a division crown at home after a win since 1969.

“The tea tastes sweeter, the ketchup’s better, things look better than they normally look,” Manager Buck Showalter said before the game about being in the midst of a pennant race in September. “I woke up the other day, and there’s a little crispness in the air. The leaves are starting to fall a little bit. There’s a little color starting to come in. It’s that time of year. It’s good to be alive.”

Showalter earned his 1,253rd career managerial victory, tying his mentor Billy Martin for 36th place on the all-time list. As a young manager in the Yankees’ farm system, Showalter learned under the wing of Martin and among the lessons imparted on him is that you’re only as good as the players around you.

With Monday’s victory, which came in front of an announced 25,061, the Orioles sealed at least a tie for first place in the division.

Baltimore (90-60) is 30-1 when scoring four runs or more since July 19.

Wei-Yin Chen overcame a rocky first inning to hold Toronto to two runs in 52 / 3 innings. Chen (16-4) has allowed three or fewer runs in six of his past seven starts.

The Orioles rebounded in the first. Nick Markakis opened with a single, then Alejandro De Aza doubled. Markakis scored on Adam Jones’s swinging bunt, and De Aza scored on Nelson Cruz’s double-play ball.

Cruz put the Orioles up 3-1 on a two-out single in the third inning, scoring Jones. Ryan Flaherty provided insurance in the fourth inning with a two-run home run.