The Toronto Blue Jays secured a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night, with Nathan Lukes hitting a two-run home run and George Springer crossing home plate twice. Shane Bieber, the Blue Jays’ starter, pitched effectively for five innings, bringing Toronto’s record to 92-68 and reducing the magic number to clinch the American League East Division to two.
In the fifth inning, Lukes broke the tie with a home run off Adrian Houser, his 12th of the season, with Springer already on base. The Rays had a chance to score in the ninth inning, but Jeff Hoffman closed the game by forcing Yandy Diaz into a groundout, earning his 33rd save in 40 opportunities.
Toronto is currently tied with the New York Yankees at the top of the division standings. The Yankees also won their game against the Baltimore Orioles 8-4 on the same night. The Blue Jays will secure the East crown with any combination of two wins or two Yankees losses.
If Toronto and New York finish the regular season with the same record on Sunday, the Blue Jays hold the tiebreaker for a bye to the division series, while the second-place team will compete in the wild-card series. Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda hit back-to-back solo home runs off Bieber in the second inning, with Aranda making a strong return after being sidelined with a left wrist fracture.
The Rays have struggled in their recent games, losing 14 of their last 20 matches, and the game saw an attendance of 42,184. Blue Jays manager John Schneider confirmed that there are no structural issues with Jose Berrios’s injured right elbow, with the right-hander seeking a second opinion before making further decisions.
In a positive sign for the Blue Jays’ offense, Toronto capitalized on scoring opportunities in the first two innings after recent struggles. Aranda, who returned to the lineup after his injury, hit his 13th home run of the year, showcasing his all-star caliber performance.
A standout moment came in the sixth inning when Blue Jays shortstop Andres Gimenez displayed his defensive prowess with a remarkable sliding catch. Toronto’s impressive home record at Rogers Centre improved to 52-27, tying them with the Seattle Mariners for the best home record in the American League.
Looking ahead, Blue Jays rookie right-hander Trey Yesavage was set to make his third big-league start on Saturday afternoon, while Joe Boyle was the designated starter for the Rays.