Lukes homers, drives in 3 as Blue Jays stay tied for AL East lead

TORONTO (AP) — Nathan Lukes hit a two-run home run, Shane Bieber pitched five innings and the Toronto Blue Jays stayed atop the AL East by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 on Friday night.

Toronto came into the final series of the season tied with the Yankees for the best record in the AL. The Blue Jays hold the tiebreaker over New York.

Lukes went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and George Springer reached base three times and scored twice as Toronto improved to 52-27 at home.

Junior Caminero hit his 45th home run and Jonathan Aranda returned from the injured list with a solo homer but that was all for the Rays.

Bieber (4-2) allowed two runs and five hits.

Left-hander Mason Fluharty relieved Bieber and struck out four of the six batters he faced over two perfect innings.

Tommy Nance got two outs in the eighth but left after Caminero's single. Brendon Little walked Aranda but ended the inning by retiring pinch-hitter Christopher Morel.

Jeff Hoffman pitched around a pair of walks in the ninth but retired Yandy Díaz to strand runners at second and third and earn his 33rd save in 40 chances.

Springer led off the game with a double against Rays right-hander Adrian Houser and scored when Lukes followed with an RBI single.

Caminero and Aranda hit back-to-back homers off Bieber in the second.

Toronto tied it in the bottom of the second when Daulton Varsho doubled and scored on Ernie Clement's bloop single.

Houser (8-5) allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings.

Key moment

Lukes snapped a 2-2 tie in the fifth with his 12th home run, connecting on a 1-0 pitch from Houser.

Key stat

The Blue Jays are 71-30 when they hit at least one home run.

Up next

Blue Jays RHP Trey Yesavage (0-0, 5.00 ERA) was scheduled to face Rays RHP Joe Boyle (1-3, 4.40) on Saturday.

__

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb