Toronto take the finale in Cleveland
Half a game. That is all that separates the Toronto Blue Jays from the last American League wild-card spot after a 6-3 win at Progressive Field on Thursday afternoon, and they took it off the team currently holding that spot.
Nathan Lukes did the damage. His two-run double to right-center in the fifth turned a one-run deficit into a lead and finished Tanner Bibee’s afternoon. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Jesus Sanchez piled on against Colin Holderman, and Toronto were suddenly 5-1 clear.
Rookie Brett Bateman had three hits. The visitors scored five straight runs to claim the rubber match of a three-game series between two clubs chasing the same October ticket. Toronto sit at 70-71. Cleveland are 70-70.
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Bibee cannot stop the bleeding
Bibee walked five, matching his career high, and lasted four-plus innings. Five runs on four hits, four strikeouts. The right-hander is now 5-15, the most losses in the majors, and 1-6 across eight starts since July 25. He has not won at home since July 20.
Cleveland did push back. Austin Hedges singled home Jo Adell and Angel Genao in the bottom of the fifth off Mason Fluharty to cut it to 5-3. That was the last time the game felt open. Spencer Miles worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win, Tyler Rogers handled the middle, and Louis Varland struck out Genao with the tying run at the plate for his 32nd save in 33 chances.
Soriano pulled one out short
Jose Soriano gave Toronto 4 2/3 innings and three runs on six hits with three walks and two strikeouts. He slapped his glove when the call came, one out away from qualifying for the win. Ernie Clement added an insurance run in the ninth, singling in Josh Smith off Carlos Hernandez, the seventh Cleveland pitcher used on the day.
The Guardians had opened the scoring in the third on a Genao single that plated Adell, then watched Toronto answer in the fourth through Sean Keys. They still hold the final wild card. The margin is now the width of a single game, and their bullpen has been asked to cover a lot of ground in a series that turned on one swing.
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