Smoak drives in three runs in potential final game as Jay
TORONTO — Justin Smoak hit a pair of doubles and drove in three runs in what was likely his final game as a Blue Jay, and Toronto ended its major-league baseball season with an 8-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
Smoak, a pending free agent who’s spent the last five seasons in Toronto, doubled in Rowdy Tellez in the seventh inning for a 7-1 lead before being replaced by a pinch runner.
He was greeted with hugs from teammates and manager Charlie Montoyo at the dugout steps as he left the field.
Smoak’s first double of the game plated a pair in the first inning to give the Blue Jays a quick 2-0 lead. Teoscar Hernandez hit a three-run homer and Breyvic Valera also went deep for Toronto (67-95).
Ji-Man Choi homered for the Rays (96-66) and Jesus Aguilar and Guillermo Heredia drove in a run apiece.
Clay Buchholz (2-5) pitched five solid innings, also likely in his final game in a Toronto uniform.
The pending free agent veteran allowed one run and four hits with a walk and six strikeouts.
Blake Snell (6-8) allowed three hits and two runs with two walks and four strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings for Tampa.
Snell was on a limited pitch count for the playoff-bound Rays, who will play Oakland in the AL wild-card game next week.
Smoak played 684 games with Toronto from 2015 to ’19 and was part of the Blue Jays teams that reached the American League Championship Series in ’15 and ’16. He hit a careerhigh 38 home runs in ’17.
The 32-year-old was one of few veteran voices in a young Toronto clubhouse this season. The addition of so many new players meant reduced playing time for Smoak, especially over the final month of the season, as the team tested out future options at first base and DH.
Smoak received loud cheers from the crowd of 25,738 before each of his at-bats, and a thunderous standing ovation in his final plate appearance in the seventh.
Cavan Biggio hit a single in the first inning, stretching his Blue Jays rookie record on-base streak to 29 games.