Pursuing AL East crown, Jays want one other win over Rays

The Toronto Blue Jays are nonetheless answerable for their very own destiny coming into the center recreation of a three-game sequence in opposition to the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon.

The Blue Jays (92-68) registered a 4-2 win on Friday within the sequence opener.

That left Toronto tied for first within the American League East with the New York Yankees (92-68), who defeated the Baltimore Orioles 8-4 on Friday.

The Blue Jays maintain the tiebreaker, and so they might clinch their first division title since 2015 on Saturday in the event that they win and the Yankees lose.

Toronto is scheduled to begin right-hander Trey Yesavage (0-0, 5.00 ERA) on Saturday. In his main league debut on Sept. 15 in opposition to the host Rays, he allowed one run, three hits and two walks whereas hanging out 9 in five-plus innings throughout a 2-1, 11-inning Blue Jays win.

Yesavage tossed four-plus innings in opposition to the Kansas Metropolis Royals on Sunday, allowing 4 runs on 5 hits.

Tampa Bay (77-83) is anticipated to begin right-hander Joe Boyle (1-3, 4.40). He opposed Yesavage in Tampa and pitched six scoreless innings, permitting 4 hits and no walks whereas hanging out 5. He struck out a career-best 9 over 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball within the Rays’ 7-3 win over the Boston Pink Sox on Sunday.

Toronto has received two straight after dropping six of seven.

“I believe the power has been actually good the previous two days,” Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider mentioned after the Friday victory. “I anticipate it to proceed to be that approach. You simply should maintain profitable. Right now is indicative, it might be anybody on any night time.”

The Blue Jays maintain get manufacturing from lesser-known gamers. Nathan Lukes hit a two-run homer and an RBI single on Friday. The suitable fielder is batting .327 (33-for-101) with runners in scoring place.

The Blue Jays are with out one in every of their extra productive hitters, Bo Bichette, who’s sidelined till the playoffs as a result of a left knee sprain.

Vladimir Guerrero is struggling at .217 with no dwelling runs and 4 RBIs over his previous 16 video games. Alejandro Kirk is in an 0-for-22 drought.

For the Rays, third baseman Junior Caminero hit his forty fifth dwelling run of the season within the second inning on Friday. He’s one homer in need of tying the franchise file set by Carlos Pena in 2007. Throughout his previous 47 video games, Caminero is batting .290 with 18 homers and 39 RBIs.

Tampa Bay outfielder Everson Pereira, who left the Thursday recreation with a good decrease again, was positioned on the 10-day injured checklist on Friday. The Rays reinstated first baseman Jonathan Aranda from the IL. Aranda, who had been out with a fractured left wrist, hit a house run in his first at-bat again.

The Rays had gone 23-26 since Aranda went on the IL on Aug. 1. He’s batting .316/.395/.485 with 13 homers and 55 RBIs in 104 video games.

“The ball leaves his bat and also you simply sort of sit there, what if?” Tampa Bay supervisor Kevin Money mentioned. “How would it not have performed out had he been wholesome for the remainder of his season? He has put collectively a extremely particular season with the damage. But when he had gotten to 500 at-bats, what would it not have appeared like?”

Toronto recalled left-hander Justin Bruihl from Triple-A Buffalo on Friday and optioned right-hander Paxton Schultz to the spring coaching complicated.

–Discipline Stage Media