AL East-leading Rays beat Jays 7-1, clinch postseason berth

Austin Meadows hit a three-run homer in a six-run third inning., and the Tampa Bay Rays clinched a postseason berth with a 7-1 victory over the Blue Jays on Wednesday. The AL East-leading Rays (94-59) secured a postseason berth for the third season in a row and the seventh time since 2008. The defending AL champions lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games last year. Toronto (85-67) dropped into a tie for the second AL wild-card berth with the New York Yankees, who played later Wednesday. The Blue Jays lost two of three to Tampa Bay and are 16-5 in September. Six Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a four-hitter. JT Chargois (6-1) struck out two during a hitless fourth. The Rays’ Kevin Kiermaier was hit by a pitch, apparent retribution for scooping up a Toronto scouting report two days earlier. Reliever Ryan Borucki hit Kiermaier on the back with his first pitch of the eighth inning, when the Rays led 7-1. Borucki was ejected after the umpires met. Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo and enraged pitching coach Pete Walker to storm out of the dugout to argue as played spilled onto the field, Walker also was tossed. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two hits and scored when Teoscar Hernández picked up his 109th RBI on a sacrifice fly. Ross Stripling (5-7) took the loss. YANKEES 7, RANGERS 3 NEW YORK (AP) – Gleyber Torres doubled home Joey Gallo for the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, Gary Sánchez followed with a two-run homer and New York rallied past Texas for a three-game sweep heading into a divisional stretch that will decide their postseason fate. New York made two errors, allowed two stolen bases, had a baserunner sprint through a stop sign but score easily and another thrown out at home plate. The Yankees’ wild-card chase takes them to Fenway Park for three games starting Friday night followed by three at at Toronto and a season-ending three-game homestand against Tampa Bay. New York is half a game ahead of Toronto for the second and final AL wild card after the Blue Jays lost a matinee to Tampa Bay, which clinched a postseason spot with the victory. Boston was two games ahead of the Yankees when the Red Sox began play Wednesday and cruising toward a blowout win against the Mets. The Yankees won their third straight, scoring four runs with two outs in the eighth inning after Gallo reached when his popup off Spencer Patton (1-2) dropped in against the shifted Rangers. Chad Green (9-7) pitched a scoreless eighth, and Aroldis Chapman cruised through the ninth in a non-save situation. In the fifth, Gio Urshela scoring from first without a throw home after running through third base coach Phil Nevin’s stop sign. PHILLIES 4, ORIOLES 3 PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Bryce Harper threw out the tying run at the plate in the eighth inning and Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run home run to keep Philadelphia in the hunt in the NL East race. The Phillies took two of three against the 104-loss Orioles. Next up, four games against the Pirates. Philadelphia entered three games behind Atlanta for first in the division. The Braves faced Arizona in a late game Wednesday. The Orioles trimmed the lead to 4-3 with two outs in the eighth and had a runner on second when Pat Valaika singled to right field. Pedro Severino was waved home and Harper fired a strike to catcher J.T. Realmuto to end the innng. Jose Alvarado (7-1) got the win. Ian Kennedy earned his 25th save. Phillies starter Zack Wheeler struck out nine over six innings. Conner Greene (1-2) took the loss. RED SOX 12, METS 5 BOSTON (AP) – Kyle Schwarber homered twice and scored four times, and Chris Sale struck out eight in five innings as Boston won its seventh straight.