TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays remained on the brink of a playoff spot after they lost 7-5 to Taylor Walls and the Tampa Bay Rays in 10 innings.
Toronto (89-72) still had a couple more ways to get into the playoffs on Saturday. A loss for Seattle against Texas would secure a wild card for the Blue Jays. Losses for the Mariners and Astros, who were set to play at Arizona, would guarantee Toronto the second of three AL wild cards and set up a best-of-three postseason series at Tampa Bay.
Walls lifted the Rays to a 6-4 lead with a two-run single off Jordan Hicks (3-9) with two out in the 10th. Junior Caminero then drove in Raimel Tapia with an infield single.
Rays right-hander Chris Devenski (6-4) pitched two innings for the win, working around Bo Bichette’s RBI double in the 10th.
Harold Ramírez had three hits for the Rays, including a tying two-run homer off Trevor Richards in the fifth.
George Springer hit a two-out double off Devenski in the bottom of the ninth, but Cavan Biggio flied out to send it to extra innings.
Daulton Varsho homered and drove in three runs, but it wasn’t enough for the Blue Jays.
Tampa Bay’s Yandy Díaz entered as a pinch hitter in the 10th inning and struck out on three pitches. Díaz (.330) trails Texas shortstop Corey Seager (.331 entering play Saturday) in a tight race for the AL batting title.
Isaac Paredes hit an RBI single off Blue Jays left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu in the first inning, and Josh Lowe’s double made it 2-0 in the third.
Varsho homered off Cooper Criswell to begin the Toronto third, his 20th. He put the Blue Jays in front with a two-run single in the fourth.
Springer added an RBI single, but Toronto stranded runners on first and second when Biggio and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. struck out.
Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena walked to begin the fifth and Ramírez followed with his 12th homer.
Ryu allowed two runs and seven hits in three innings.
Shawn Armstrong opened for the Rays, pitching around a pair of walks in his lone inning. Recalled from Triple-A Durham before the game, Criswell followed and allowed four runs, three earned, and four hits in three innings.
ROSTER MOVES
To make room for Criswell, the Rays designated pitcher Erasmo Ramírez for assignment.
UP NEXT
Neither team had named a starter for Sunday’s season finale.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
