🔥 Nathan Lukes Powers Jays Past Rays, Toronto Stays Deadlocked with Yankees
September 27 — The Toronto Blue Jays kept their AL East title hopes alive Friday night, riding a clutch homer from Nathan Lukes to a 4-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Rogers Centre. ⚾💥
💣 Lukes Delivers in the Clutch
With the game tied 2-2 in the fifth, Lukes crushed a two-run shot to right-center, his 12th of the year, giving Toronto the lead for good. He finished the night with three RBIs, proving once again he’s more than ready for big moments. 🙌
📊 Key Highlights
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George Springer doubled in the first and later scored on a Lukes single to open the scoring.
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The Rays answered back quickly with back-to-back homers from Junior Caminero (his 45th 🤯) and Jonathan Aranda, who was returning from the IL after a fractured wrist.
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Toronto tied it in the second with Daulton Varsho’s double and Ernie Clement’s RBI single.
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Lukes’ fifth-inning blast sealed the deal, putting Toronto back on top for good.
⚡ On the Mound
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Shane Bieber (4-2): 5 IP, 2 runs, 5 hits, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts.
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Mason Fluharty: 2 perfect innings with 4 strikeouts 👏.
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Jeff Hoffman: battled through 2 walks in the 9th to earn his 33rd save. 🔒
Tampa Bay’s Adrian Houser (8-5) allowed 4 runs on 7 hits over 6 innings, while Caminero stayed hot with two more knocks.
🏆 The Standings Race
With the win, the Blue Jays (92-68) stayed tied for first in the AL East with the New York Yankees, who also won Friday night. 👀 The good news? Toronto holds the head-to-head tiebreaker with New York — giving them the edge if the race stays tight all weekend.
💬 What do you think, Jays fans? Can Toronto finish the job and lock down the AL East crown? 🏆💙
