Big sixth inning helps Jays send message to division rivals

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Normally, the familiarity of the Tampa Bay Rays merely brings contempt to the Blue Jays, and these days, that sentiment may well be mutual.

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Both teams have incentive not to extend their late September acquaintance — six games in 10 days — into a much higher-stakes engagement in the first week of October.

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So, with that backdrop at the Trop, the first of those six meetings had to feel rather large for the Jays after a late-arriving surge of offence down in St. Petersburg, Fla., led to a 6-2 win.

The AL East combatants are well familiar with each other, of course, even if they were squaring off for the first time since May. And with so much on the line, the rivalry is intense, especially when considered that if the season ended Friday night, the standings dictate that the two would meet in a best-of-three wild-card series back at Tropicana Field starting on Oct. 3.

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Given the struggles the Jays have had with the Rays over the years, if manager John Schneider’s team had a choice, it likely would favour avoiding the Rays in the playoffs, with either Minnesota or Baltimore seemingly more appealing. And given their ongoing offensive struggles, a tussle with the Tampa Bay pitching staff would be decidedly unappealing.

The Rays, meanwhile, have a greater incentive as motivation.

They began the three-game series at the Trop — to be followed by three at the Rogers Centre to end the regular-season schedule next week — just 1.5 games in arrears of the Orioles for first in the AL East. The prospect of surpassing the O’s and getting a first-round bye has to be tantalizing, given the trend towards volatility in the short wild-card round.

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As for the Jays, Friday’s meeting was loaded with meaning. Besides the business at hand of ensuring they qualify for the playoffs — a process that inched closer with their games remaining reduced to eight — was the opportunity to send a message to the Rays.

The win evened the season series at 4-4 after the Jays dropped three of four in Florida back in May. The Jays haven’t won a season series against their divisional nemesis since 2017. It also didn’t hurt that they chased stalwart Tampa Bay starter Tyler Glasnow from the game in the sixth inning.

The little victories are far less significant than the bigger one, but it’s worth noting that the Rays have an MLB-best home record of 52-26 and with a record since July 27 of 32-18.

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Now winners of six of their past seven to improve to 86-68, the Jays are 3-1 on this critical six-game road trip. Better yet, with the Mariners and Rangers duelling in Texas on Friday night, it guaranteed that Toronto would have a game cushion on a playoff spot.

Doing so at the Trop, a stadium that has caused them untold misery over the years, had to make it feel even bigger as the Jays improved to 13-7 in September, the best mark in the American League.

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WALK THIS WAY

A modest-hitting offence will take runs any way it can get them, but a four-run sixth on Friday had to feel like a gift.

Included in the mayhem were three consecutive walks from Glasnow, that both chased him from the game and got the Jays on the scoreboard.

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The inning began with some aggression after George Springer singled and then stole second base. Springer counted the Jays’ first run of the game on a Bo Bichette single that was followed by the three free passes from Glasnow to end his night.

The Jays, who managed only four hits on the night, will take that kind of production against a tough team to score on such as the Rays. They’ll need more conventional offence as well if they hope to do any damage in the post-season, but they’re far beyond being selective about how they win.

On a night when they were shut out and held to just one hit through five innings, the bottom line had to feel luxurious.

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GAME ON

He figures to be second to Kevin Gausman in the playoff order, but depending on how things unfold in the final week, Chris Bassitt could get the ball in a playoff opener should the Jays qualify … Bassitt served up a taste of what he’s got to the Rays, going 6.2 innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs while striking out eight and walking none … Workhorse that he is, Bassitt has now thrown into the sixth inning or beyond 26 times this season. With 192.1 innings thrown and one more start, Bassitt has a shot of reaching the 200-inning plateau. … Things got a little nervous for the Jays in the eighth when Jordan Hicks was removed with two out and two on, only to see Jordan Romano walk the first batter he faced. Romano got out of the jam by getting Curtis Mead — who hit a solo homer in the first inning — to ground out to Matt Chapman at third … On to the ninth, a solo homer from Daulton Varsho, his 18th of the season, and an RBI single from Springer extended the lead to four. Romano returned in the bottom half for a 1-2-3 frame to earn his 36th save … While his right-knee soreness will still be a situation that merits monitoring, Vlad Guerrero Jr., was back in the lineup on Friday at DH. Schneider hinted that Guerrero could return to his regular spot at first for Saturday’s contest.

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