Rays move into 3rd place in AL East in win over Blue Jays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Taj Bradley was confident, even with his pitch count getting to triple digits, that he could get the elusive final out of the fifth inning Saturday so he could quality for the win if the Tampa Bay Rays hung on to their slim lead.

He just had to make sure Rays manager Kevin Cash was on the same page as he gave up a two-out walk, a hard single, then a slow 35-foot roller by the Toronto Blue Jays’ Spencer Horwitz that scored a run.

“I just kept looking in the dugout trying to give off a stare like ‘Cashy, stay in there, let me finish,’ ” Bradley said. " I don’t think he got it. But I was happy that he let me stay out there and showed that he trusts me, and that he thought I could get out of it, too.”

Bradley did, striking out Alejandro Kirk, on his 101st, 102nd and 103rd pitches, and with the Rays hanging on for a 3-2 victory, the second-year right-hander got his first W since July 25, a span of nine frustrating starts (0-7, 7.88) he can now put behind him.

“I was really proud that he got through the fifth inning,” Cash said. “That’s a lot of pitches through five innings. You can get really frustrated with some of the way those at-bats unfolded. Certainly Horwitz, to put that ball in play where we couldn’t make a play on it, that run comes in.

“It was really nice to see Taj take a deep breath, keep his composure, and end up getting that out and then securing the win.”

By winning four of their last five — and three straight for the first time since mid-August — the Rays moved into sole possession of third place in the American League East for the first time since May 21, a half game ahead of the Boston Red Sox.

The Rays also secured their 41st win of the season at Tropicana Field, ensuring an eighth consecutive winning season under the tilted roof. At 77-78, they need to win at least four of their final seven games to avoid their first losing season since 2017. And, for what it’s worth, they remained mathematically alive in the American League wild-card race, 4 1/2 back of the No. 3 Twins, who play a doubleheader in Boston on Sunday.

“I’m pleased, there’s no doubt,” Cash said. “We can talk about all the frustrations, whatever. But right now, if you put this in a vacuum, I am really pleased with the way that the guys are going about their business, offensively, defensively, getting timely hits, and then highlighted by just outstanding pitching.”

Outstanding might be an understatement. They had a 23-inning scoreless streak, encompassing back-to-back shutouts, until the Jays scored in the fifth; and they have allowed two or fewer earned runs over six straight games, and five total over their last 43 innings.

“That’s pretty good,” said Drew Rasmussen, who got the final six outs for his second big-league save and first since 2021 with Milwaukee.

“You just see what we can do as a staff, and I mean, it’s incredible. It’s a lot of fun. It keeps us in games, and it gives our offense a chance. We start to string together some multiple-run innings, and I really like our odds of winning.”

They did just enough Saturday.

In the second inning, catcher Ben Rortvedt delivered the kind of clutch hit they’ve been missing, a two-out single to score Jonathan Aranda from third. Rortvedt, who had been in a miserable skid (6-for-his-previous-63), raised his arms in celebration when he got to first.

Aranda, who delivered the only run in Friday’s win with a sixth-inning homer, came through again Saturday, continuing to take advantage of the regular playing time he is getting with a two-out, two-run homer in the third that just cleared the centerfield wall.

“I was rounding first base, and I was saying to myself, ‘I hope it’s gone. I hope it’s gone,’” said Aranda, via communications director Elvis Martinez.

Cash wasn’t sure either, but obviously pleased.

“Jonny’s playing with a ton of confidence at the plate and on defense,” Cash said. “So happy for him. And like that he is continuing to just make the most of all of his at-bats.”

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