The Tampa Bay Rays broke their three-game losing skid with a comeback victory Monday night, but it took a Herculean effort from right-hander Bryan Baker, the major league leader in saves, to do it.
The American League-leading club will carry that momentum into Tuesday evening’s tilt against the Toronto Blue Jays in a three-game series in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Trailing the visiting Baltimore Orioles 6-4 in the seventh, Tampa Bay’s Jonathan Aranda drove in a run before pinch hitter Jonny DeLuca grounded a high chopper over third base to score two more.
Baker, a former Orioles reliever, nailed it down with a five-out save, including a strikeout of sizzling Pete Alonso with the tying runner at third and one out in the eighth, for his 35th save and 24th straight overall.
It was a much-needed rally for Tampa Bay, which became the first AL club to reach 75 wins and notched its 32nd comeback triumph.
Manager Kevin Cash stretched his first-time All-Star closer to the limit.
“We needed every bit of those pitches from (Baker),” Cash said after the 7-6 victory. “That’s a big ask to come and get the teeth of the lineup out in the eighth and go back out and finish it off in the ninth.”
Added DeLuca of Baker, “He makes it look easy.”
All-Star Nick Martinez (12-3, 2.74 ERA) has won four of five decisions since the All-Star Break and will look to improve on his 3-2 career record and 5.09 ERA in eight outings (six starts) against Toronto. Martinez has mastered the Jays in 2026, posting a 2-0 record with a tidy 1.64 ERA.
The Rays are 8-2 against the Blue Jays thus far this season with a lopsided 54-28 run advantage.
Toronto has resurrected its wild-card hopes by moving up the standings competing in an AL that is downright mediocre in the middle below the Rays, New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox.
The rest of the Junior Circuit is filled with clubs saddled with losing records.
The Blue Jays find themselves in a battle for the third and final wild-card spot with the Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Guardians and Seattle Mariners.
Only one gets to play after the regular season ends on Sept. 27 — that is, unless a team above them completely flames out in the next six weeks.
The Blue Jays have pitched well lately, even without right-handers Trey Yesavage (meniscus surgery) and Spencer Arrighetti (foot) in the rotation.
The latter, acquired from Houston at the trade deadline for outfielder Daulton Varsho, will need at least another start at Triple-A Buffalo before his Toronto debut.
The Canadian club enters the series 10-6 in August.
“It’s been nice to feel the energy shift over the last week. Not just on the field, but in here with the guys, too,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “The bullpen knows we’re a full send. The lineup knows it’s the same way. We used the whole bench yesterday. We’re just going for it.”
Quipped the skipper: “Maybe the baseball gods are changing their minds about us.”
Jose Soriano (9-6, 3.16) is 0-0 with a 1.69 ERA in two starts since being traded by the Los Angeles Angels to Toronto on Aug. 3.
In eight appearances (five starts) against Tampa Bay, the right-hander is 2-2 with a 4.08 ERA.
Six-time All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was placed on the seven-day concussion injured list Saturday after colliding with New York Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr. the night before.
–Field Level Media
