Blue Jays 10, Rays 8
TORONTO -- David Price pitched five innings, Jose Bautista hit two home runs and the Toronto Blue Jays held on to defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-8 on Saturday.
Russell Martin also homered for the Blue Jays (89-65), who won their third in a row after entering Saturday with four-game lead over the second-place New York Yankees in the American League East.
The Blue Jays already have clinched at least the second AL wild-card spot, while the Rays (75-80) have been eliminated.
Price (18-5) improved his record to 9-1 in 11 starts with the Blue Jays. The left-hander allowed six hits, five runs (four earned) and one walk in five innings. He had six strikeouts.
Rays right-hander Chris Archer (12-13) allowed 10 hits, five walks and nine runs in 3 1/3 innings. He struck out three.
Price and Archer were teammates with the Rays until July 31, 2014, when Price was traded to the Detroit Tigers, who traded him to the Blue Jays on July 30 this season.
Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier homered for the Rays.
The Blue Jays struck for five runs in the first inning on a three-run home run by Bautista, the 38th of the season by the right fielder, and a two-run blast by Martin, the career-best 22nd by the Toronto catcher.
The Rays came back with four runs in third, three of them earned.
A leadoff double by Kiermaier, a walk by catcher Rene Rivera and a single by left fielder Brandon Guyer loaded the bases.
Right fielder Steven Souza Jr. hit a long single to right that scored Kiermaier. Rivera scored and Souza took second when second baseman Cliff Pennington was charged with a throwing error on the relay.
Second baseman Logan Forsythe delivered a sacrifice fly and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera hit an RBI single to cut the Toronto lead to 5-4.
The Blue Jays scored two in their half of the third on doubles by shortstop Ryan Goins and center fielder Kevin Pillar, a walk to Pennington and an RBI single by left fielder Ben Revere, his third hit of the game.
Kiermaier hit his 10th homer of the season to cut the lead to 7-5.
The Blue Jays extended the lead to 9-5 in the fourth. Bautista walked, was forced at second on a grounder to short by designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion, first baseman Justin Smoak singled and Martin walked to load the bases.
Goins hit a sacrifice fly and Pillar, who had three hits in the game, hit an RBI double. Archer was replaced by left-hander C.J. Riefenhauser.
Bautista greeted right-hander Kirby Yates with his 39th homer of the season to lead off the eighth.
Blue Jays right-hander Ryan Tepera walked Cabrera to open the ninth. Smoak was charged with a throwing error when he tried for a force at second on grounder by third baseman Richie Shaffer.
Left-hander Brett Cecil entered the game and induced a groundout to second from first baseman James Loney that advanced the runners to second and third.
Second baseman Darwin Barney was charged with a two-base error on a grounder by Kiermaier that scored a run.
Right-hander Roberto Osuna replaced Cecil and allowed an RBI singles to pinch-hitter Grady Sizemore and John Jaso.
Souza lined out to center for the second out and third baseman Evan Longoria's grounder resulted in a force at second to end the game.
Osuna picked up his 19th save.
NOTES: Amid some confusion, the Toronto Blue Jays learned Saturday that they had already clinched the second American League wild-card spot even though the Los Angeles Angels won their game on Friday. It will be the Blue Jays' first appearance in the postseason since 1993, when they won their second successive World Series. ... The game Saturday gave the Blue Jays their 12th straight sellout and their 26th of the season at Rogers Centre. ... Rays LHP Jake McGee (torn meniscus in left knee) was activated from the disabled list on Saturday. He injured the knee Aug. 18. ... The Rays will start RHP Matt Adriese (3-5, 4.37 ERA) on Sunday in the finale of the three-game series against Blue Jays LHP Mark Buehrle (14-7, 3.69). ... The teams will end the regular season with a three-game series next week at Tropicana Field.