Motivated Rays top Jays, clinch postseason berth
RAYS 7, BLUE JAYS 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hit by a pitch two days after scooping up a Toronto scouting report and setting off a flap, Kevin Kiermaier hopes to see the Blue Jays in the playoffs.
“Oh yeah, it was intentional,” Kiermaier said after reliever Ryan Borucki hit him on the back with his first pitch in the eighth inning Wednesday.
Tampa Bay’s 7-1 victory clinched its third consecutive postseason berth. When asked why he wants to face Toronto again, Kiermaier replied: “The motivation is there. That’s all that needs to be said.”
“Pretty much almost went behind me,” Kiermaier said. “I thought it was a weak move, to be quite honest. It’s over. It’s didn’t hurt by any means, so I don’t care. Whatever. We move on. We got a series win, and I hope we play those guys, I really do.”
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 played spilled onto the field. Walker also was tossed, and there were no incidents between the players.
“I wanted to go down and away, as I was coming forward I felt the ball slip out of my hand and I missed up and in, and I accidentally hit him,” Borucki said. “They can think want they want over there in their locker room, but it is what it is.”
Borucki was tossed by crew chief Joe West.
“I was just like, I missed arm-side, like I miss arm-side a lot,” Borucki said. “I pitch inside all the time, and he was like, ‘You’ve just got to go.’ “
Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe called the hit by pitch “kind of bush league,” while Manager Kevin Cash was disappointed.
Montoyo said Kiermaier was not hit intentionally, maintaining he didn’t want to use another pitcher in the one-sided game.
“Pete’s reaction told me everything about it,” Montoyo said. “He missed. He hit him, but I understand what it looks like. I understood how the Rays got upset about it. That thing was on for two days.”
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. Cash apologized to the Blue Jays organization Tuesday.
YANKEES 7, RANGERS 3 Gleyber Torres doubled home Joey Gallo for the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, Gary Sanchez followed with a two-run home run and New York rallied past Texas.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
CARDINALS 10, BREWERS 2 Paul Goldschmidt and Tyler O’Neill homered as St. Louis won its 11th consecutive game and extended its lead for the second NL wild-card spot with a win over NL Central-leading Milwaukee, which dropped its fourth in a row.
ROCKIES 10, DODGERS 5 Sam Hilliard lined a three-run home run, C.J. Cron had four hits and Colorado beat Los Angeles.
NATIONALS 7, MARLINS 5 Juan Soto took over the NL batting lead, getting three hits and three RBI to help Washington beat Miami. BRAVES 9, DIAMONDBACKS 2 Ozzie Albies hit a two-run home run and finished with three RBI as Atlanta defeated Arizona.
INTERLEAGUE
PHILLIES 4, ORIOLES 3 Bryce Harper threw out the tying run at the plate in the eighth inning and Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run home run to keep Philadelphia pushing in the NL East race with a victory over Baltimore.
TWINS 5, CUBS 4 Max Kepler homered twice, rookie Joe Ryan struck out a season-high 11, and Minnesota held on to beat Chicago.
RED SOX 12, METS 5 Kyle Schwarber homered twice and scored four times, and Chris Sale struck out eight in five innings as Boston won its seventh in a row.