Blue Jays beat fading Rays 6-5, close in on AL East title

By Canadian Press on September 16, 2025.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nathan Lukes was involved in home-run video reviews at the plate and right field as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-5 on Tuesday night for their sixth straight win.

Toronto (89-62), seeking its first American League East title since 2015, maintained a five-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees. Joey Loperfido homered and George Springer had three hits and two RBIs.

Tampa Bay (73-78) has lost nine of 11, dropping 9 1/2 games behind Houston for the final AL wild card with 11 games left. The Rays had two on with one out in the ninth before Jeff Hoffman struck out Josh Lowe and Jake Mangum for his 31st save in 38 chances.

The Rays drew 8,908, their 18th non-sellout at 10,046-capacity Steinbrenner Field.

Toronto built a 4-0 lead against Ryan Pepiot (11-11) on Addison Barger’s RBI single in the first and a three-run second that included Springer’s two-run single and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s RBI single.

Brandon Lowe ended an eight-pitch at-bat against José Berríos in the third with a three-run homer after a video review ruled that while a fan reached over the right-field wall and interfered with Lukes, the drive would have been a home run anyway,

Lukes was given a solo homer against Joey Gerber in the fourth in a video review after initially being awarded a double on a drive that hit Lowe’s glove and then the hand of a fan behind the right-field fence.

Loperfido homered in the fifth for a 6-3 lead.

Tampa Bay closed on RBI singles by Tristan Gray in the eighth and Brandon Lowe in the ninth.

Eric Lauer (9-2) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

KEY MOMENT

Hoffman’s clutch strikeouts.

KEY STAT

Toronto is 36-13 when hitting multiple home runs.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays RHP Kevin Gausman (10-10, 3.44 ERA) and Rays LHP Ian Seymour (3-2, 3.16 ERA) start Wednesday.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Kristie Ackert, The Associated Press