Rays clinch spot, with a bruise

RAYS 7 BLUE JAYS 1

ST. PETERSBURG — Kevin Kiermaier was hit by a pitch, apparent retribution for scooping up a Toronto scouting report two days earlier, and the Rays clinched a postseason berth with a 7-1 victory over the Blue Jays on Wednesday.

Reliever Ryan Borucki hit Kiermaier on the back with his first pitch of the eighth inning, when the Rays led, 7-1.

Borucki was ejected after the umpires met, which prompted Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo and enraged pitching coach Pete Walker to storm out of the dugout to argue as players spilled onto the field, Walker also was tossed, but there were no incidents among players.

On Monday, Kiermaier picked up a scouting card that fell off the wristband of Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk during a play at the plate and refused to give it back. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash apologized to the Blue Jays organization Tuesday and Montoyo said the matter was “agau under the bridge.”

Austin Meadows hit a three-run homer during a six-run third inning for the AL East-leading Rays (94-59). The postseason berth is the third in a row and seventh since 2008 for the defending AL champions, who lost the World Series to the Dodgers in six games last year.

The Blue Jays lost two of three to Tampa Bay and are 16-5 in September.

Six Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a four-hitter. JT Chargois (6-1) struck out two during a hitless fourth.

Luis Patiño allowed a first-inning single to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. over three innings, working out of bases-loaded two-out jam in the opening frame.

Guerrero got the Blue Jays’ second hit with a sixth-inning double off Adam Conley and scored when Teoscar Hernández picked up his 109th RBI on a sacrifice fly. Guerrero also walked and has been on-base an AL-best 270 times with 51 multi-hit games.

The Rays loaded the bases with no outs in the third against Ross Stripling (5-7) before Yandy Díaz hit a sacrifice fly and Meadows followed with his 26th homer. Taylor Walls added a two-run single that made it 6-0. Meadows has 103 RBI.

Díaz hit a fourth-inning RBI single.