The Toronto Blue Jays’ final away game of the season ended in a loss.
On Sunday afternoon, the Blue Jays took on the Tampa Bay Rays, falling 4-3 to bring their season record to 73-83. Moreover, this was the fourth series the Blue Jays were swept in, only the third with three or more games.
The Blue Jays took a lead in the top of the fourth, as Leo Jiménez hit a sacrifice fly to put the Jays up 1-0. However, Jonathan Aranda hit his sixth home run of the season, and his third in as many games to give the Rays a 2-1 lead.
In their next half inning, the Blue Jays tied the game as Ernie Clement singled in Tyler Heineman. For the third straight half inning, a run was scored as the Ray’s Christopher Morel hit a sacrifice fly to score José Siri. The game-winning run was scored in the bottom of the eighth, as Brandon Lowe hit his 20th home run of the season.
Toronto had a chance to tie it in the top of the ninth, as Alejandro Kirk led off the inning with a walk. After a Nathan Lukes strikeout, Clement hit a double (his 21st of the season), while Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in a run. With runners on the corners with one out and the Blue Jays down 4-3, Spencer Horwitz popped out and Luis De Los Santos grounded out to end the game.

Diving into the stats…

There’s a legitimate shot that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. finishes the season with 200 or more hits. He matched Saturday’s performance with three hits, as he had three singles in this game, bringing his batting average to .327. Moreover, his RBI in the top of the ninth was his 100th of the season.
Ernie Clement also had a three-hit day on Sunday, hitting his 21st double of the year along with two singles. Jonatan Clase had a two-hit performance, hitting his second double of the year as well as a single. Other players with a hit were Nathan Lukes, Leo Jiménez, and Tyler Heineman.
As for Jiménez, he wasn’t hit by a pitch for the second consecutive game, but that didn’t stop the Blue Jays from reviewing a play where he was nearly hit by one.
In terms of pitching, opener Ryan Burr pitched an inning and a third, allowing a hit and striking out three to bring his season ERA to 3.56. Ryan Yarbrough continued to pitch well since joining the Jays, striking out five in four innings while giving up an earned run.
Zach Pop blew a lead, giving up an earned run in two thirds of an inning pitched, while Génesis Cabrera gave up a rare earned run in his inning of work, taking his third loss of the season. Erik Swanson allowed a solo home run, but struck out two in his inning of work.
This was only the fourth time the Blue Jays were swept this season. They were swept in two straight series in June by the Boston Red Sox and the Cleveland Guardians, while the Philadelphia Phillies swept the two-game series in early September.
Despite the rough year, the Jays have swept five series themselves, one against the Chicago White Sox in late May, a sweep of the Texas Rangers in late June, two sweeps of the Los Angeles Angels in August, and a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals in their last home series.
With the loss, the Blue Jays 73-83 record has them tied with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Blue Jays’ current odds of landing the first-overall pick sit at 5.31%, but they would move to 7.48% odds if the Pirates finish the season with a better record.
There are just two more series remaining this season. On Tuesday, they’ll host the Boston Red Sox in a three-game series, before hosting the Miami Marlins on Friday. Tuesday’s game starts at 7:07 PM with Bowden Francis starting the game for the Jays.

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