Bieber Steady but Blue Jays Bats Quiet in 2–1 Loss to Royals
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — One inning was all it took. In the fourth, Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino went back-to-back to give Kansas City just enough offense to edge the Blue Jays 2–1 on Saturday.
Shane Bieber kept Toronto in the game, working six innings and allowing only those two solo shots while striking out four. Royals starter Noah Cameron matched him pitch for pitch, scattering five hits across seven innings before Carlos Estévez locked down his 41st save.
The Blue Jays pushed back in the seventh, when Daulton Varsho knocked in a run, but they couldn’t find the equalizer. Both teams finished with four hits and six runners left on base, underscoring how thin the margin was.
Toronto slipped to 89–66 but remains in the driver’s seat in the AL East. With a week and a half left in September, every chance to cash in runners looms larger, and Saturday served as a reminder of how quickly games can hinge on one swing — or in this case, two in a row.
Blue Jays Top Rays in Extras, Strengthen Grip on AL East
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Toronto Blue Jays slipped past the Tampa Bay Rays 2–1 in 10 innings Monday night, tightening their hold on the American League East with less than two weeks left in the regular season.
Tampa Bay opened the scoring with a run in the second inning, and the lead held until Toronto finally broke through in the eighth. The Jays pulled even, then pushed across the deciding run in the 10th before closing it out in the bottom half.
The victory moves Toronto to 88–62 (.587), widening the gap atop the division to five games over the Yankees and six over the Red Sox. The Jays have taken seven of their last 10 while their closest rivals have faltered down the stretch.
Toronto continues to pair one of the league’s best home records with timely performances on the road. Wins like this reinforce their case as a club ready to lock down its first AL East crown since 2015.
Jays Walk Off Orioles 5–4, Pad AL East Lead
TORONTO — The Blue Jays rallied in the bottom of the ninth to walk off the Baltimore Orioles 5–4 on Saturday at Rogers Centre, stretching their division lead to 3.5 games over the Yankees and 5.0 over the Red Sox in the AL East.
Down 4–2 in their final at-bat, Toronto’s comeback began with Joey Loperfido, who punched an RBI single through the right side to cut the deficit to one. Andrés Giménez followed with a ground-ball single into left to score Ernie Clement, tying the game at 4–4 and keeping the inning alive.
George Springer then reached on catcher’s interference to load the bases. Alejandro Kirk sealed it with a sacrifice fly to center fielder Colton Cowser, deep enough for Loperfido to tag and score the winning run.
On the mound, Max Scherzer worked five innings, allowing four hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts. Tommy Nance followed with a clean sixth. Eric Lauer was charged with one run in 1.2 innings, and Seranthony Domínguez allowed two hits in a third of an inning. Matt Fisher earned the win despite surrendering a run in the ninth, finishing his line with one inning, one hit, one earned run, one walk, and one strikeout.
The victory lifted Toronto to 86–62, keeping them on top of the American League East. The Yankees (82–65) sit 3.5 games back, the Red Sox (81–67) trail by 5.0, while Tampa Bay and Baltimore are well out of contention.
For the Blue Jays, the win underscored a September theme: timely hitting, contributions from throughout the order, and Joey Loperfido crossing the plate with the game-winner in front of a buzzing Rogers Centre crowd.