Bo Bichette watches his three-run homer in the first inning Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Jon Blacker/The Canadian Press via AP
TORONTO — Bo Bichette homered and matched his career-high with five RBI, Robbie Ray fanned 13 over seven innings to claim the major league strikeout lead and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3 Wednesday.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. doubled twice and scored twice, and Teoscar Hernández added an RBI single. The Blue Jays improved to 13-2 in September to move into an AL wild-card spot.
“We’re showing everybody who we are,” Bichette said.
Tampa Bay lost for the fifth time in seven games. The AL East leaders are 6-8 in September after going 21-6 in August.
Ray (12-5) allowed one run and four hits to win his fourth straight decision. The left-hander is 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA and 91 strikeouts since his last loss, July 21 against Boston.
“Early on, the fastball was electric,” Ray said. “I felt like it was getting on guys, I was able to pound guys with it.”
Ray allowed leadoff doubles in the second and fourth but didn’t allow a run until Mike Zunino homered to begin the fifth. The homer was Zunino’s 30th.
Ray left to a standing ovation after striking out Jordan Luplow to end the seventh. He raised his season total to 233 strikeouts, passing Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (224) and Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler (225).
YANKEES 4, ORIOLES 3: Brett Gardner blooped a two-run single in the ninth inning that was set up by a double steal, and visiting New York kept pace with Toronto and Boston atop the AL wild-card standings.
Austin Hays homered twice for the Orioles, including a two-out, two-run drive in the eighth off Chad Green for a 3-2 lead.
ASTROS 7, RANGERS 2: Jake Meyers and Marwin Gonzalez hit consecutive homers in a three-run second inning, Kyle Tucker homered among his three hits, and Jose Urquidy allowed one run and two hits in six innings as Houston won in Arlington, Texas.
INDIANS 12, TWINS 3: Cal Quantrill gave Cleveland another strong start, and Oscar Mercado, Bobby Bradley and Franmil Reyes homered to help the Indians win in Minneapolis.
ANGELS 3, WHITE SOX 2: Brandon Marsh hit a tiebreaking solo homer off Michael Kopech in the eighth inning, and Los Angeles won at Chicago.
INTERLEAGUE
TIGERS 4, BREWERS 1: Dustin Garneau homered and drove in two runs, rookie Matt Manning combined with the bullpen on a three-hitter and Detroit complete a two-game sweep at home.
Milwaukee’s magic number to clinch the NL Central remained at five after they dropped a pair to the Tigers following a five-game winning streak.
Garneau knocked in the go-ahead run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly. He lofted his fourth homer with two out in the seventh.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
PIRATES 5, REDS 4: Wilmer Difo scored on a Colin Moran groundout with one out in the ninth inning, and Pittsburgh handed visiting Cincinnati its seventh loss in nine games.
Difo skied a ball down the left-field line against Mychal Givens (3-3) that seemed primed for an out before Max Schrock overran it, allowing it to drop for a one-out double. Moran grounded to first, where Joey Votto couldn’t field it cleanly before moving the ball onto Givens covering. Difo beat the throw home.
Cincinnati dropped 1 1/2 games behind St. Louis for the second wild card in the National League.
CARDINALS 11, METS 4: Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado each hit one of St. Louis’ four homers, and the visiting Cardinals flashed some fantastic outfield defense in beating New York for its fifth straight victory.
ROCKIES 3, PHILLIES 2: Raimel Tapia hit a tiebreaking single off A.J. Minter in the 10th inning, scoring Colton Welker from third base and lifting Colorado to a victory in Atlanta.
Atlanta’s NL East lead was trimmed to 3½ games over Philadelphia.
PHILLIES 6, CUBS 5: Andrew Knapp scored on a passed ball in the ninth inning as Philadelphia won at home despite blowing two leads in the late innings.
MARLINS 8, NATIONALS 6: Jesus Sanchez’s second two-run homer of the day capped a four-run ninth inning, and Miami rallied for a win at Washington.
After an RBI single by Miguel Rojas and a fielder’s choice groundout by Lewin Diaz tied the score, Sanchez hit the first pitch he saw from Kyle Finnegan (5-7) to left-center for his 12th homer of the season.
NOTES
ANGELS: Manager Joe Maddon said that he would be very surprised if three-time AL MVP Mike Trout plays again this season.
Trout injured his right calf running the bases May 17 and had a setback last month, but he has left open the possibility of returning before the end of the season.
Rookie outfielder Jo Adell also might be done for the season. He was placed on the 10-day injured list after he got hurt when he crashed into the wall in left while trying to catch a ball against Houston on Saturday night. Adell hit the back of his head on the wall, but the team said he had a left abdominal strain.
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