Facing the Majors’ hottest team and a Blue Jays lineup that’s laid waste to every pitching staff it’s seen lately, Drew Rasmussen did exactly what he’s done since joining the Rays’ rotation last month: He attacked the strike zone, challenged hitters with high-octane fastballs and gave Tampa Bay a chance to win.
Rasmussen shut out Toronto’s scorching-hot lineup for five innings Tuesday night, continuing to cement his candidacy for a spot in Tampa Bay’s postseason rotation, and homers from Ji-Man Choi and Brandon Lowe lifted the Rays to a 2-0 win over the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre that snapped their brief two-game losing streak.
The victory made the Rays (90-55) the first team in the American League to reach the 90-win mark this season and restored their lead over the Jays in the American League East to nine games with 17 to play. Tampa Bay’s magic number to clinch the club’s second straight AL East title is down to nine, and its magic number to clinch a spot in the postseason sits at eight, pending the result of Boston’s late game in Seattle.
