Instant Reaction: Nathan Lukes plays the hero as Blue Jays beat Rays at the Rogers Centre

On the bump for Toronto was Shane Bieber, who allowed just five hits, two earned runs, and two walks while striking out three across five innings. Both runs came off back-to-back solo shots from Junior Caminero and Jonathan Aranda in the top half of the second inning. Outside of that lone frame, Bieber was on cruise control despite some tough at-bats that drove up his pitch count, generating nine whiffs on the day with a 63.3% strike rate.

The pitcher who stole the show was Mason Fluharty, who followed Bieber heading into the sixth inning, and the southpaw was playing on ‘Rookie Mode’ against the Rays batters. He fooled almost every batter he faced, striking out four across two innings of work and generating 11 whiffs, just one back of Houser, who had four innings on the southpaw reliever. Tommy Nance and Brendon Little followed, with the two combining for a clean eighth inning.

Lastly was Jeff Hoffman, who was brought in to close the game. He got things off to a rough start by walking the leadoff hitter in Josh Lowe, on five pitches before getting Carson Williams to fly out for one out. An egregious strike call that went Hoffman’s way against Hunter Feduccia still couldn’t corral the right-hander, who eventually walked him to put the winning run at the plate for Tampa Bay. Chandler Simpson would ground out to shortstop Andres Gimenez, but beat out the double play with his speed, putting two outs on the board for the ever dangerous Yandy Diaz. It took five pitches against the right-handed hitting DH, but Hoffman would emerge victorious, getting the slugger to chase a slider down and away to roll over to third baseman Clement, who would sling it to first for the final out of the game.

Considering the neck-and-neck battle between Toronto and the New York Yankees in the standings, the Blue Jays needed that win in the worst way. The Yankees beat the Orioles last night as well, so the magic number for Toronto remains at two, but they can clinch the ALDS today with a win over the Rays and a Yankees loss.

Trey Yesavage will take the mound for the Blue Jays while Joe Boyle toes the rubber for Tampa Bay.