The Toronto Blue Jays secured a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night, evening their three-game series. Alejandro Kirk delivered a decisive three-run homer in the sixth inning, providing the necessary offense for the win. Starting pitcher Chris Bassitt contributed a solid performance, allowing one run on seven hits over 5.2 innings and striking out six.
The Rays initially took the lead in the fourth inning with an RBI single by Kameron Misner. However, the Blue Jays responded in the sixth when Kirk capitalized on an 0-2 fastball, sending it over the fence for a three-run homer. Relievers Brendon Little, Yariel Rodríguez, and Yimi García combined to shut down the Rays for the remainder of the game, with García earning his third save of the season.
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt (40).© Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
With the win, the Blue Jays surged to second in the American League East, and are now 0.5 games above the Boston Red Sox.
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As Toronto looks to take the series from Tampa Bay on Thursday, manager John Schneider announced some injury news. Infielder Will Wagner, who was optioned to Buffalo in late-April, has been missing from the Triple-A lineup since has last appearance on May 10.
According to Schneider, Wagner recently fouled a ball off his foot, but is expected to return soon.
Wagner had gone 8-for-30 with two home runs in eight games since his demotion. His return could provide important organizational depth to the Blue Jays’ infield options as the team navigates the season.
The Blue Jays will conclude their series against the Rays on Thursday afternoon, aiming to secure a series win. A victory would bring their record to 22-21, keeping them competitive in the AL East standings.
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