It’s complicated, but Blue Jays finally end playoff drought

Instead, the Toronto Blue Jays washed away 22 years of frustration in a deluge of champagne and beer in a raucous celebration. Blue Jays SS Troy Tulowitzki (left collarbone fracture) continues to feel improvement as he works out and took swings off a tee on Thursday’s off day.

And to think we got ourselves worked up into a lather about staying up late to see if the Halos would lose to Seattle, figuring it would formalize the Blue Jays’ first trip to the playoffs since 1993, when it became a fait accompli the moment the Twins lost in Detroit. “The Blue Jays are heading to the postseason”.

“It’s really really special”, he said. “That’s our goal”.

Toronto Blue Jays’ second baseman Munenori Kawasaki, left, throws to first after forcing out Tampa Bay Rays’ Asdrubal Cabrera at second during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Toronto, Saturday, September 26, 2015. Toronto wrapped up at least a wild card based on their main competitors’ overlapping schedules. The Pirates then open a three-game series Monday against St. Louis, the team they trail in NL Central.

“The fact that we know we’re going to be in the postseason, it means a lot“, general manager Alex Anthopoulos said. We’re after the division championship. Beyond that, it’s just a great moment. “It’s been so long and the guys have played great”. Toronto is well-positioned in this area for the post-season.

“It looked like it was dancing pretty good tonight”, Tampa manager Kevin Cash said of the knuckler.

Jose Bautista and Kevin Pillar also went deep for Toronto, which leads the majors with 217 homers, the fourth highest total in team history.

Dickey (11-11) then found his aim.

Bautista homered into the second deck off Kirby Yates to begin the seventh for his 37th. It was the fifth multihomer game of the season for Bautista, whose homers were his 38th and 39th.

Tampa Bay catcher J.P. Arencibia hit a leadoff homer off Mark Lowe in the eighth, and Roberto Osuna finished for his 18th save.

One would win the AL West after a tiebreaker, while the other would claim a wild card along with the Blue Jays or Yankees.

“It’s been a tough year, losing my dad”, said an emotional Dickey, whose father died in June.

New York maintained a four-game lead over Houston for the top AL wild card.

That would be Edwin Encarnacion, one of several Blue Jays who has waited a long time for precisely such moments.

Toronto Blue Jays’ Josh Donaldson celebrates with teammate Jose…

Three batters later, Martin made it 5-0 with a two-run shot, his career-best 22nd.

And the Blue Jays did their part, launching three home runs on the night to power their way to a 5-3 comeback win over the Rays in the first of a three-game weekend series, Toronto’s final regular-season showing at home.

“It wasn’t my day by any means”, a subdued Archer said. At Wrigley Field, Jason Hamel tries to overcome a recent rut when he starts against the Pittsburgh – the Pirates have won seven straight and are trying to catch St. Louis for the NL Central lead and hold off Chicago for the first wild-card slot.

Back-to-back Toronto doubles in the second cut the Tampa lead to 2-1 with Cliff Pennington’s RBI double just eluding a diving Grady Sizemore in left field.

Rays: Longoria started at DH, with Richie Shaffer at 3B…. He injured the knee August. 18.

In the first inning, the Rays stepped up to the machine and received one of those small payouts that keeps you mentally sustained just enough to keep pulling the lever. The lefty ace has eight victories, one loss and one no decision in 10 starts since going from the Detroit Tigers to the Blue Jays.