Playoff-bound Blue Jays sink Rays behind Bautista's 2 HRs
Even after clinching their first postseason berth in more than two decades the evening prior, the Toronto Blue Jays weren't the least bit complacent Saturday afternoon at Rogers Centre.
Though David Price endured his worst start since arriving in Toronto, allowing five runs over five innings, his club's potent lineup picked up the slack, tallying nine runs off Chris Archer in another mammoth offensive display en route to a 10-8 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
On an afternoon of offensive indulgence, wherein all but one member of Toronto's lineup reached base at least once, Jose Bautista still managed to distinguish himself. The decorated right fielder finished 2-for-3 with a pair of walks, a three-run homer in the first and a solo shot in the eighth to help the Blue Jays secure their fourth win in their last five games.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
Bautista's effort brought him within one swing of reaching the 40-home run plateau for the first time since 2011, too, while affording the 34-year-old his fifth multi-homer game of the season. Since arriving in Toronto in 2008, Bautista has enjoyed 26 multi-homer games, the second-most in franchise history after Carlos Delgado (37).
Price's afternoon wasn't quite as memorable, though. The veteran left-hander nearly squandered his early 5-0 lead, allowing four runs in the third, and expended 95 pitches over five frames before turning a 9-5 lead over to the bullpen. Even after Saturday's blip, though, Price still owns a 2.45 ERA with a 4.83 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 11 starts for the Blue Jays.
The ninth inning was a bit of a mess for Toronto's bullpen, which has struggled of late, but Roberto Osuna bailed out Ryan Tepera and Brett Cecil by recording the game's final two outs for his 19th save of the season while stranding the tying run at first base.
The victory extended the Blue Jays' lead over the Yankees in the American League East to 4 1/2 games, with New York set to take on the Chicago White Sox in the Bronx on Saturday afternoon.