Trey Yesavage pitched five runless innings for his first major league win, Alejandro Kirk homered and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 on Saturday afternoon.
Yesavage (1-0) making his third major league start and his first at home, allowed five hits and two walks with five strikeouts in five innings.
Ernie Clement started the scoring with a two-run double in the second to help the Blue Jays (93-68) win their third in a row to remain tied for first in the American League East with the New York Yankees.
The Yankees defeated the Baltimore Orioles 6-1 on Saturday, but the Blue Jays hold the tiebreaker. Toronto could clinch the division with a win or a Yankee loss Sunday.
Jonathan Aranda hit a solo home run for the Rays (77-84), who have lost three in a row. Junior Caminero had two infield hits and a walk.
Toronto took a 3-0 lead against Joe Boyle (1-4) in the second. Addison Barger led off with a single to left and Davis Schneider walked. Clement stroked a two-out, two-run double left and Andres Gimenez followed with an RBI single.
Tampa Bay left the bases loaded against Yesavage in the third when Aranda was called out on strikes.
Chandler Simpson led off the fifth with a double to left but was tagged out when he overslid third trying to advance on a fly out to right.
The Blue Jays added a run in their fifth. Clement led off with a single, stole second uncontested and scored on a two-out single to left by Nathan Lukes.
Yariel Rodriguez allowed Aranda’s 14th homer of the season, a blast to left center on a 3-1 sinker, to lead off the sixth. It was his second homer since returning Friday from a fractured left wrist.
Boyle was done after five innings. He allowed four runs, five hits and three walks while striking out five.
Kirk hammered a first-pitch hanging slider from Garrell Cleavinger to left for his 13th homer to lead off the home seventh. Kirk broke an 0-for-24 drought with the blast.
