<p>The <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/">Toronto Blue Jays</a> needed a win in the worst way last night, and it was outfielder Nathan Lukes who led the charge.</p>
<p>Batting right behind leadoff hitter George Springer, Lukes got the Jays on the board in the bottom half of the first inning, sending a ground ball to the left side to score Springer, who had doubled off Rays starter Adrian Houser to begin the game. He would then be called upon in a big spot in the bottom of the fifth inning, with the game tied 2-2.</p>
<p>With Springer on first base and one out, Lukes pounced on a 1-0 changeup from Houser that caught too much of the plate, sending the ball 399 feet over the right field wall to score two more runs, the eventual knockout punch for Toronto. Of the four runs the Jays scored, Lukes drove in three of them.</p>
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<p>The other run from the Blue Jays side came in the bottom of the second inning, with Ernie Clement sending a low changeup bloop shot to right field to score Daulton Varsho from second base, which would tie the game at two apiece before Lukes heroic fifth inning.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🗣️ LUUUUUUUUUUKES 🗣️ <a href="https://t.co/2OtWrs9Kta">pic.twitter.com/2OtWrs9Kta</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) <a href="https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1971735589952110861?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>The pitcher who stole the show was Mason Fluharty, who followed Bieber heading into the sixth inning, and the southpaw was playing on &#8216;Rookie Mode&#8217; 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.</p>
<p>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&#8217;s way against Hunter Feduccia still couldn&#8217;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.</p>
<p>Considering the neck-and-neck battle between <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/would-losing-al-east-undo-toronto-blue-jays-magical-season">Toronto and the New York Yankees</a> 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.</p>
<p>Trey Yesavage will take the mound for the Blue Jays while Joe Boyle toes the rubber for Tampa Bay.</p>
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The <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/">Toronto Blue Jays</a> needed a win in the worst way last night, and it was outfielder Nathan Lukes who led the charge.

Batting right behind leadoff hitter George Springer, Lukes got the Jays on the board in the bottom half of the first inning, sending a ground ball to the left side to score Springer, who had doubled off Rays starter Adrian Houser to begin the game. He would then be called upon in a big spot in the bottom of the fifth inning, with the game tied 2-2.

With Springer on first base and one out, Lukes pounced on a 1-0 changeup from Houser that caught too much of the plate, sending the ball 399 feet over the right field wall to score two more runs, the eventual knockout punch for Toronto. Of the four runs the Jays scored, Lukes drove in three of them.
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The other run from the Blue Jays side came in the bottom of the second inning, with Ernie Clement sending a low changeup bloop shot to right field to score Daulton Varsho from second base, which would tie the game at two apiece before Lukes heroic fifth inning.

https://twitter.com/BlueJays/status/1971735589952110861

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 <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/would-losing-al-east-undo-toronto-blue-jays-magical-season">Toronto and the New York Yankees</a> 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.

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