The Toronto Blue Jays helped their cause to the playoffs by defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 11-4 on Friday night at the Rogers Centre.
Check out the highlights above.
Although the Astros and Mariners won their respective matchups, the Blue Jays improved their chances of reaching the post-season series. The Jays are currently ranked second among teams drafted in the United States. Toronto needs to win one of its final two games this weekend to secure its playoff ticket.
In this first of a three-game series against the Rays, the Blue Jays took the lead thanks to a solo home run by Alejandro Kirk in the second inning. The latter also made the following two points of his own. One inning after his bomb, he hit a single that brought Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette to the plate.
Brandon Belt and Matt Chapman also took part in this offensive feast, each hitting home runs. They extended their arms in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively.
Even though he didn’t throw the ball out of bounds, Jays second baseman Cavan Biggio was not to be outdone. He did two runs and circled the trails twice. For their part, Guerrero fils and Bichette had the pleasure of scoring three points each.
On the mound, starter Yusei Kikuchi (11-6) allowed three runs on five hits in five innings. The Japanese also overtook four rivals in the mitt and gave two free passes.
During his final moments on the mound, he saw Yandy Diaz hit his 22nd home run of the current season.
Rays starter Aaron Civale (7:5) was only in position for one game and two periods and suffered the setback. For the losers, however, it was Erasmo Ramirez’s passage on the mound that was disastrous. During his work, six runs were scored and the right-hander gave up eight sure hits to the crowd favorite.
The Blue Jays will face the Rays on Saturday afternoon for the penultimate game of their 2023 regular season.
Check out the Mariners-Rangers game recap below.