Blue Jays fall further back in wildcard chase

The Tampa Bay Rays’ 6-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night was their 62nd of the season. Alex Colome has saved 37 of them, the most in the major leagues.

Colome gave up a run for the first time in nine appearances. But after giving up hits to Kendrys Morales and Steve Pearce and a sacrifice fly that left the potential game-tying run on third base, he got a ground ball with the infield in and a flyout to finish the game.

“Even if things get a little hairy, he trusts his ability,” winning pitcher Chris Archer said. “He’s allowed to give up a run every now and then, he’s human. But he got that save, and that’s why he’s a lock-down reliever.”

“I try to keep the ball down and get ground balls,” Colome said. “That’s what I was thinking — keep the man on third, try to get some popup or ground ball.”

Lucas Duda and Corey Dickerson homered in the first two innings and Archer struck out 10 for the Rays, who have won only three of their last 11. The Blue Jays lost their fourth straight.

Duda’s 23rd home run (sixth with Tampa Bay) came off rookie Chris Rowley in the first inning after Norichika Aoki had led off the game with a homer off Archer.

Dickerson hit his 23rd homer in the second, starting a three-run inning off Rowley that put the Rays ahead 4-1.

Aoki drove in another run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth after a double by Ezequiel Carrera and an RBI single by Ryan Goins.

Carrera had entered the game in the third inning after the ejection of Blue Jays centre fielder Kevin Pillar by home plate umpire Chad Fairchild.

Josh Donaldson’s 21st home run came off Rays reliever Tommy Hunter in the eighth.

Miguel Montero made it 6-5 with a sacrifice fly off Colome.

Colome’s 37 saves are “a product of the style of baseball we play,” according the Rays manager Kevin Cash. “We play a lot of tight games, we pitch well for the most part, and we’re in a lot of tight games. The bulk of our wins are relying on him to get the final three, four or five outs.”

Archer (9-7) gave up three runs (one earned) and four hits in six innings.