Springer’s inside-the-park homer, diving catch and throw lead Blue Jays over Rays 9-5
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — George Springer hit an inside-the-park, three-run homer. made a diving catch and threw out a runner, helping the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 9-5 on Sunday to take two of three in a series of potential playoff opponents.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. homered twice, making an impressive bat flip after the second, and Bo Bichette also went deep for the Blue Jays. Toronto began the day leading the second AL wild card by one game over Houston and were 1 1/2 games ahead of Seattle.
Isaac Paredes hit his 30th homer for Tampa Bay, which has clinched at the least the AL’s top wild card and started the day 1 1/2 games behind AL East-leading Baltimore, which has the tiebreaker.
Rays first baseman Yandy Díaz left in the third with right hamstring tightness. Díaz is second in the AL with .328 batting average.