Rays manager Kevin Cash knows it is not easy to pitch against the Blue Jays.
“You don’t come up for air,” Cash said before his team took on Toronto’s power-laden lineup.
For Rays right-hander Jake Odorizzi, facing the Blue Jays was a suffocating strain.
Photo: AP
Josh Donaldson, Jose Bautista and Kevin Pillar all homered, R.A. Dickey pitched seven innings to earn his 100th career win and the Blue Jays beat Odorizzi and the Rays 5-3 on Friday night.
“I really had to work tonight,” Odorizzi said of his five-inning struggle. “I feel thankful that I only gave up four runs. I made a lot of good pitches to get out of jams, which it seemed like I was in all night. I just really had to fight and claw my way through it.”
Toronto’s plate discipline made Odorizzi (8-9) work even harder.
“They didn’t expand the zone whatsoever,” the right-hander said. “There were a lot of pitches I thought would get swings and they were laying off both high and low. They weren’t swinging at anything other than a strike.”
The victory moved Toronto closer to clinching their first playoff berth in 22 years. The Blue Jays had the opportunity to clinch at least a wild-card spot if both the Twins and Angels lost on Friday. Minnesota lost 6-4 at Detroit, but the Angels later won.
“The wild-card game is not something that we as a unit would celebrate,” Dickey said. “We’re after the division championship.”
The Blue Jays have not been to the post-season since winning their second straight World Series in 1993.
Toronto extended their AL East to four games after the White Sox beat the Yankees.
The Blue Jays lead the majors with 217 homers, the fourth-highest total in team history. They hit 257 homers in 2010.
“It’s no secret,” Cash said. “We know that they have the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark.”
Dickey (11-11), who came in winless in three starts, settled down after a shaky first. He retired 18 of the final 19 batters he faced, including the last 11 straight.
“It looked like it was dancing pretty good tonight,” Cash said. “After the first inning, there weren’t too many hard-hit balls off him.”
Dickey allowed four hits, walked none and struck out two to win for the eighth time in nine decisions.
“It’s been a tough year, losing my dad,” said an emotional Dickey, whose father died in June. “This is really good to celebrate this, at home, in my 100th start for the Blue Jays. It’s really poetic.”
Tampa Bay catcher J.P. Arencibia hit a leadoff homer off Mark Lowe in the eighth, and Roberto Osuna finished for his 18th save.
Donaldson became the ninth player in Blue Jays history to reach the 40-homer mark. He joins Carlos Delgado (2000) and Shawn Green (1999) as the only Toronto players to hit 40 home runs and 40 doubles in the same season.
“He’s had a huge year, an MVP year,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.
Pillar put the Blue Jays on top when he connected off Odorizzi to begin the fourth. Pennington followed with his second double, went to third on a sacrifice and scored on Ben Revere’s single.
Bautista homered into the second deck off Kirby Yates to begin the seventh for his 37th.
RANGERS 6, ASTROS 2
In Houston, Choo Shin-soo homered and drove in three runs as Texas beat Houston for the eighth straight time, extending their AL West lead over the Astros to 4.5 games.
Houston star second baseman Jose Altuve exited early after being hurt in a collision with shortstop Carlos Correa while chasing a popup. Manager A.J. Hinch said Altuve did not have a concussion and hoped to play yesterday.
The Rangers improved to 16-7 this month while Houston lost its third in a row and fell to 7-15 this month. The Astros’ lead for the second AL wild-card spot was whittled to a half-game over the Los Angeles Angels, who played later.
Ross Ohlendorf (3-0) pitched 1-1/3 scoreless innings for the win.
Scott Kazmir (7-11) yielded 10 hits and six runs, lasting just 3-2/3 innings for the second straight game. He has not won since Aug. 22, a span of six straight starts.
CUBS 3, PIRATES 2
In Chicago, Gerrit Cole outpitched Jon Lester as the Pittsburgh Pirates hung on for their seventh straight win, beating Chicago 3-2 to delay the Cubs’ playoff celebration until later on Friday.
Pittsburgh increased their lead for the NL’s top wild card to 4.5 games over the Cubs, who would have secured their first postseason appearance since 2008 with a win.
Chicago clinched later on Friday, when San Francisco lost to Oakland.
Cole (18-8) and Lester (10-12) each lasted seven innings, and Mark Melancon held off a rally attempt in the ninth for his major league-leading 51st save in 53 chances.
In other MLB action, it was:
‧ Angels 8, Mariners 4
‧ Brewers 4, Cardinals 3
‧ Rockies 7, Dodgers 4
‧ Blue Jays 5, Rays 3
‧ White Sox 5, Yankees 2
‧ Mets 12, Reds 5
‧ Athletics 5, Giants 4
‧ Tigers 6, Twins 4
‧ Indians 6, Royals 0
‧ Phillies 8, Nationals 2
‧ Marlins 12, Braves 11
‧ Red Sox 7, Orioles 0
‧ Diamondbacks 6, Padres 3
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