American League wild-card roundup: Blue Jays keep pace with crowded field

Five teams in the American League wild-card race entered play Tuesday with 61 wins, but only three separated themselves by getting win No. 62.

The Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers and Minnesota Twins were all victorious on Tuesday, with the Rangers moving up into the third wild-card spot by virtue of a tiebreaker.

On the other side of things, the Orioles and Tigers slipped down with losses, joining the Guardians at half a game back.

Meanwhile, the Seattle Mariners may have bowed out of the race for good with a 22-0 loss to the Brewers in Milwaukee. They are now three games back.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Kazuma Okamoto broke Toronto’s rookie home run record with his 25th, Josh Smith and Alejandro Kirk also homered and the Blue Jays beat AL-leading Tampa Bay in the opener of their series.

Okamoto gave Toronto a 7-3 lead with his homer in the fifth, breaking Eric Hinske’s team record. Brett Bateman tacked on an RBI single before Smith launched a ball over the right-field wall, capping the scoring for the Blue Jays.

George Springer had an RBI single in the first, and Jesús Sánchez added a run-scoring double. Kirk extended the lead in the third with his homer to left-centre field. Kirk also drove in a run with a single in the fourth and Bateman scored another on a wild pitch by Rays starter Nick Martinez (12-4).

José Soriano (10-6) allowed three runs and nine hits in five innings, striking out two.

PITTSBURGH — Braxton Ashcraft allowed five hits over eight efficient innings, Oneil Cruz homered in his return from the injured list, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers 4-1 on Tuesday night.

Ashcraft (13-5), a first-time All-Star this season, struck out four and didn’t issue a walk while throwing just 80 pitches. The 26-year-old right-hander, coming off the first complete game of his career in a win over Miami last week, gave up a fifth-inning homer to Tigers rookie Brett Callahan but otherwise cruised to his fourth win in five starts.

Ashcraft became the first Pittsburgh pitcher since A.J. Burnett in 2012 to record a complete game and then work at least eight innings in his next start.

BALTIMORE — Trent Grisham hit his 17th home run in the third inning and had a two-run single in the seventh to propel New York to a victory over Baltimore.

Yerry De los Santos (1-0) pitched two innings of scoreless relief for the Yankees (70-55), who began the series opener in possession of the top AL wild-card place and six games behind Tampa Bay for the AL East lead.

Yankees left-hander Carlos Rodón allowed Coby Mayo’s 17th homer during four innings in his first start after nearly two months on the injured list with inflammation in his throwing elbow.