The Toronto Blue Jays are still in control of their own fate entering the middle game of a three-game series against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon.
The Blue Jays (92-68) registered a 4-2 win on Friday in the series opener.
That left Toronto tied for first in the American League East with the New York Yankees (92-68), who defeated the Baltimore Orioles 8-4 on Friday.
The Blue Jays hold the tiebreaker, and they could clinch their first division title since 2015 on Saturday if they win and the Yankees lose.
Toronto is scheduled to start right-hander Trey Yesavage (0-0, 5.00 ERA) on Saturday. In his major league debut on Sept. 15 against the host Rays, he allowed one run, three hits and two walks while striking out nine in five-plus innings during a 2-1, 11-inning Blue Jays win.
Yesavage tossed four-plus innings against the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, permitting four runs on five hits.
Tampa Bay (77-83) is expected to start right-hander Joe Boyle (1-3, 4.40). He opposed Yesavage in Tampa and pitched six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and no walks while striking out five. He struck out a career-best nine over 4 1/3 innings of one-run ball in the Rays’ 7-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
Toronto has won two straight after losing six of seven.
“I think the energy has been really good the past two days,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said after the Friday victory. “I expect it to continue to be that way. You just must keep winning. Today is indicative, it could be anyone on any night.”
The Blue Jays keep get production from lesser-known players. Nathan Lukes hit a two-run homer and an RBI single on Friday. The right fielder is batting .327 (33-for-101) with runners in scoring position.
The Blue Jays are without one of their more productive hitters, Bo Bichette, who is sidelined until the playoffs due to a left knee sprain.
Vladimir Guerrero is struggling at .217 with no home runs and four RBIs over his past 16 games. Alejandro Kirk is in an 0-for-22 drought.
For the Rays, third baseman Junior Caminero hit his 45th home run of the season in the second inning on Friday. He is one homer short of tying the franchise record set by Carlos Pena in 2007. Across his past 47 games, Caminero is batting .290 with 18 homers and 39 RBIs.
Tampa Bay outfielder Everson Pereira, who left the Thursday game with a tight lower back, was placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday. The Rays reinstated first baseman Jonathan Aranda from the IL. Aranda, who had been out with a fractured left wrist, hit a home run in his first at-bat back.
The Rays had gone 23-26 since Aranda went on the IL on Aug. 1. He is batting .316/.395/.485 with 13 homers and 55 RBIs in 104 games.
“The ball leaves his bat and you just kind of sit there, what if?” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “How would it have played out had he been healthy for the rest of his season? He has put together a really special season with the injury. But if he had gotten to 500 at-bats, what would it have looked like?”
Toronto recalled left-hander Justin Bruihl from Triple-A Buffalo on Friday and optioned right-hander Paxton Schultz to the spring training complex.