TORONTO — Nathan Lukes hit a two-run home run, Shane Bieber pitched five innings and the Toronto Blue Jays (92-68) stayed atop the AL East by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 on Friday night.
Toronto came into the final series of the season tied with the Yankees for the best record in the AL. The Blue Jays hold the tiebreaker over New York.
The host Yankees defeated Baltimore 8-4.
Lukes went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and George Springer reached base three times and scored twice as Toronto improved to 52-27 at home.
Junior Caminero hit his 45th home run and Jonathan Aranda returned from the injured list with a solo homer but that was all for the Rays.
Bieber (4-2) allowed two runs and five hits.
Left-hander Mason Fluharty relieved Bieber and struck out four of the six batters he faced over two perfect innings.
Tommy Nance got two outs in the eighth but left after Caminero’s single. Brendon Little walked Aranda but ended the inning by retiring pinch-hitter Christopher Morel.
Jeff Hoffman pitched around a pair of walks in the ninth but retired Yandy Díaz to strand runners at second and third and earn his 33rd save in 40 chances.
Springer led off the game with a double against Rays right-hander Adrian Houser and scored when Lukes followed with an RBI single.
Caminero and Aranda hit back-to-back homers off Bieber in the second.
Toronto tied it in the bottom of the second when Daulton Varsho doubled and scored on Ernie Clement’s bloop single.
Houser (8-5) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings.
Key moment
Lukes snapped a 2-2 tie in the fifth with his 12th home run, connecting on a 1-0 pitch from Houser.
Key stat
The Blue Jays are 71-30 when they hit at least one home run.
Up next
Blue Jays RHP Trey Yesavage (0-0, 5.00 ERA) was scheduled to face Rays RHP Joe Boyle (1-3, 4.40) on Saturday.
Marlins thwart Mets
MIAMI — Sandy Alcantara gave up two runs in seven-plus innings, Connor Norby homered and the Miami Marlins rallied to beat the New York Mets 6-2.
The Mets began Friday one game ahead of Cincinnati for the third NL wild card. The Reds won 3-1 at Milwaukee to get to 82-78 and move into a tie with New York.
Xavier Edwards had three hits and Otto López doubled and singled for the Marlins.
Alcantara (11-12) settled down after allowing Francisco Lindor’s game-starting homer and Pete Alonso’s RBI double in the first. The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner allowed six hits through the first three innings then retired 10 straight before Lindor walked to lead off the eighth that ended his outing.
The Marlins chased Mets starter Brandon Sproat (0-2) during a six-run fifth that erased a 2-0 deficit. Heriberto Hernández hit a two-run triple and scored on Jakob Marsee’s RBI groundout. Xavier Edwards hit an RBI single and Norby’s two-run pinch-hit homer off reliever Gregory Soto capped the outburst.
The Marlins’ Connor Norby watches after hitting a two-run homer during the fifth inning in Miami on Friday night against the New York Mets. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Cade Gibson relieved Alcantara and got the first two outs in the eighth. Tyler Phillips closed with the four-out save after the Mets loaded the bases in the eighth.
Lindor’s first inning homer was his 11th leadoff blast of the season and 31st of his career.
Sproat gave up four runs and five hits over 4 2/3 innings. It was Sproat’s fourth career start since being called up from Triple-A on Sept. 7.
Key moment
Phillips inherited the bases loaded when Soto reached on a fielder’s choice and Nimmo reached on a throwing error by second baseman Edwards, and Jeff McNeil worked a two-out walk. Pinch-hitter Mark Vientos popped out to short left field to end New York’s threat.
Key stat
Norby’s drive was the ninth pinch-hit homer by the Marlins this season.
Up next
RHP Clay Holmes (11-8, 3.66 ERA) will start for the Mets on Saturday while the Marlins will go with RHP Eury Pérez (7-5, 4.20).
https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/09/26/rays-fall-at-al-east-leading-toronto/
