Blue Jays, Rays clear benches, bullpens after Toronto wins

“I told (Souza) he crushed the ball”, said Martin, who admitted he thought it was going to be a home run.

“Longoria is a great hitter, he always hits the ball good down in the zone, and he made a great swing”, Liriano said.

At the same time the Red Sox were pounding on the Baltimore Orioles in MA, the Blue Jays were simply hoping to find enough offence to survive and avoid falling three games back in the AL East race for the first time since July 25. Or at least Carrera did.

Jose Bautista belted a two-run homer and Ezequiel Carrera’s solo blast in the eighth inning snapped a tie in Monday’s 3-2 triumph for the Blue Jays, who came in reeling with seven losses in nine games.It was Bautista’s first homer in September and Toronto will need more from the slugger if it is to make up a two-game deficit on first-place Boston in the American League East or at least hold a wild-card spot. But Bautista said the Jays have to guard against trying to do too much as the pennant race heats up. “I think it’s been a while since we had a little streak, so just, honestly, taking it day by day, game by game, inning by inning, pitch by pitch”. There’s no need to feel like you need to do anything extra at this time of the year. “Really, it adds that quick strike dimension to our team, one other guy that can do it”.

Roberto Osuna earned the save; however, his celebrations were twice delayed. Osuna got the first two batters out in the ninth, before giving up a single to Corey Dickerson.

After Tampa Bay’s Steven Souza Jr. lined to center for the final out, he traded words with Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin, misunderstanding Martin’s praise for his hard-hit ball as criticism.

Kevin Pillar just missed a homer with his long, two-out double to straightaway centre-field off Odorizzi in the second.

Cooler heads soon prevailed, and Souza sorted things out with Martin before everyone left the field. Toronto’s Francisco Liriano allowed three hits, two of them home runs, one walk and two runs in 6 1/3 innings. Since Sept. 1, the Jays’ rotation had recorded a 6.91 ERA (14th in AL),.297 opponent average (10th), 1.68 WHIP (13th) and averaged just 4 2/3 innings per start.

Joaquin Benoit had a scoreless inning of relief in the seventh and Jason Grilli had a scoreless inning of relief in the eighth allowing the Blue Jays batters to come back in the bottom of the eighth.

Carrera turned on a first-pitch fastball from Brad Boxberger (3-1) and sent it over the left-field wall. Definitely one you don’t see hit out every day. “We’re not playing any Triple-A teams around here”, said Bautista.