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Blue Jays refusing interviews with certain reporters

John Leyba / Denver Post / Getty

Tensions appear high in the Toronto Blue Jays clubhouse, as the defending American League East champs frantically make their playoff push.

Reports indicate a feud brewing with certain media members, as the Toronto Sun's Steve Buffery wrote Thursday that players are refusing interviews with a pair of local sportswriters.

According to Buffery, photos of both writers were pinned to the clubhouse wall with an "X" scratched on their faces, accompanied by a caption that reads something to the effect of "Do not grant them interviews."

The report also alleges tension between reporters and some of the younger players on the team such as Roberto Osuna, who earlier this week was reportedly followed into a private area of the clubhouse and told off by one journalist for avoiding the media.

The spat comes on the heels of a public battle in Cleveland, in which one local writer was slammed by Indians players for saying their season was over due to key injuries. As for the rift in Toronto, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons sounds unconcerned.

Prior to his club's second straight loss to the Orioles, which left Toronto in a tie for the wild card with three games remaining, Gibbons said the clubhouse remained in positive spirits.

"Good for the most part," Gibbons said, according to Buffery. "There's definitely frustration. There's going to be. That's the game, you're at it every day. But I think that's always been one of the pluses of this group. Things don't stick with them."

Asked about the wall photos, Gibbons said he didn't agree with it but that the clubhouse is the players' "sanctuary." Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro told Buffery he hadn't seen nor heard about the photos and declined further comment.

Meanwhile, Blue Jays players remain focused on securing their second straight playoff appearance. That'll begin Friday in Boston, where the clubs will close out their regular seasons in a high-stakes three-game series.

"The team mentality has never changed before," pitcher Marcus Stroman said, according to MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm. "We're fine. We're fine. We'll take the same mentality and the same confidence into Boston, and hopefully we'll go in there and get some wins."

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