(St. Petersburg) The Tampa Bay Rays’ two-year reign as AL East Division champions is over.
George Springer hit two long balls and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Rays 7-1 on Sunday to split the four-game series.
The New York Yankees maintain a comfortable lead at the top of the Eastern Division, and the loss to the Rays knocked them out of contention for the title.
The Blue Jays (86-67) extended their lead over the Rays (84-69) to two games for the first place among the American’s selected teams with just nine games remaining. The Seattle Mariners are two and a half games behind.
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“I think we’re where we need to be,” said Blue Jays interim manager John Schneider. I think if we make the playoffs we will be in a good position. »
The Blue Jays return home for six games against the Yankees and Boston Red Sox before playing a three-game series against the Orioles in Baltimore.
The Rays will conclude their campaign with a nine-game road trip against the Cleveland Guardians, Central Division champions, Houston Astros, West Division champions and the Red Sox.
“We are in control of our destiny,” said Rays infielder Taylor Walls. The defeat hurt us a little today, but we have enough games ahead of us that, if we play well, we have confidence that we will be where we want to be. »
Alejandro Kirk and Teoscar Hernández also scored for the Torontonians, who allowed 20 runs in the two losses in this series. They then limited the Rays to just two points to win the final two games.
“We showed that we can fight and that we don’t give up,” insisted Springer. We lost against a very good team that is playing well, but having managed to share the honors is huge. »
Ross Stripling (9-4) allowed one run and six hits in five working innings. Zach Pop, Adam Cimber, Trevor Richards and Yusei Kikuchi combined to give the Rays just one hit in more than four innings on the mound.
Rays star pitcher Shane McClanahan (12-7), who left his last game in the fifth inning with stiff necks, allowed four runs and six hits in five innings.
McClanahan said he was healthy but struggled with his fire control. It was his third match since spending 15 days on the injured list with a left shoulder problem.
“I felt good. I just didn’t have the material today,” McClanahan noted. I have to do better. It’s frustrating. »
The southpaw is 2-4 with a 4.26 ERA in nine games since the All-Star break.
Springer hit a two-run homer in the third inning and added a solo slap in the fifth, giving the Blue Jays a 4-1 lead. He finished the game with three hits.
Kirk hit a solo long ball in the second inning and Hernández made it 6-1 with a two-run home run in the eighth inning off Garrett Cleavinger.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in the last race for the Blue Jays in a single in the ninth inning.
Randy Arozarena made a sacrifice in the third set to allow the Rays to score their only point of the match.
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