Tampa wraps up wild-card berth, Bo gets good news
RAYS 6, BLUE JAYS 2
The Rays are going back to the post-season for the first time in six years.
Tampa Bay clinched one of the two American League wild-card spots with a 6-2 victory over the Blue Jays on Friday night at the Rogers Centre. The Rays also needed some help from the Nationals, who rallied late to secure an 8-2 win over Cleveland to eliminate the Indians from post-season contention.
The Rays had not finished above third place in their division since 2013, when they won the wild card and later lost to the Red Sox in the AL Division Series. That was the fourth time in six years the Rays made the post-season under former manager Joe Maddon, but they have not been back since. Until now.
“It sucks to watch, but a team like that, a team with that calibre of talent, just being able to grind in this type of division, good for them ... that’s something we want to be doing,” Jays second baseman Cavan Biggio said.
Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the top of the third inning when Tommy Pham hit a tworun homer to left for his 21st of the season. Willy Adames delivered an RBI single in the following frame and the Rays cruised the rest of the way en route to a fourth consecutive win. Jays right-hander T.J. Zeuch took the loss after he allowed three runs on four hits and three walks over five innings.
The Jays’ offence couldn’t do much of anything off starter Tyler Glasnow or anyone in the Rays bullpen. Glasnow opened the game with 41⁄ 3 scoreless innings, and then Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash used four relievers to get through the rest of the game.
Teoscar Hernandez provided one of the only bright spots with a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh, his 24th of the year. Toronto finished 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base.
The Rays will now meet the Athletics in the AL wild-card game on Wednesday, but homefield advantage is still up for grabs. Tampa Bay finished Friday’s game a half-game back of Oakland for the first wild-card spot with two games to play.
“I know the players, by seeing it, they’re going to say, ‘OK, that’s going to be us,’ ” said Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo, a former Rays coach.
“When we played in Boston, we saw the (World Series) ring ceremony and everyone was watching it. Now these guys clinch and they see how sweet that is. I know they’re watching, and I know we’re going to get there.” á Biggio extends streak: Cavan Biggio tied a franchise rookie record by reaching base at least once for the 27th consecutive game. That matched the previous mark set by shortstop Russ Adams in 2005 and it’s the longest streak by any Blue Jay this season. Biggio, who finished 1-for-3 with an unusual double plus a walk, is batting .309 (29-for-94) with 23 runs and 23 walks during the streak. “Ever since I’ve been in the big leagues, playing against the Rays, they’ve played four outfielders against me,” said Biggio, whose double came on a bunt with Tampa Bay only using three infielders. “The whole middle of the field is wide open … I was just trying to bunt it really hard off the barrel. In the air, I didn’t really mean for it to go that high, but in the air, right back at (the pitcher), through the middle of the field. It was a curveball up. I think that’s why I got under it more than I planned on.”
á Bichette clears hurdle: Bo Bichette went through some light running drills and infield work prior to Friday night’s game. He was placed under MLB’s concussion protocol after he was struck by a pitch during a game against the Orioles on Sept. 19. The 21year-old initially was expected to miss the rest of the regular season, but there’s now an outside chance he will play Saturday or Sunday. He will have to pass a series of baseline tests before he is cleared to resume full baseball activities.
á Up next: Right-hander Trent Thornton (5-9, 5.00) will take the mound when the Jays continue their three-game series against the Rays on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 3:07 p.m. Tampa Bay had yet to announce its starter by the completion of Friday night’s game.