AL wild-card roundup: Blue Jays all but eliminated

The Toronto Blue Jays avoided elimination for one more day thanks to a rainy day in Baltimore, but results in other games have all but ended Toronto's playoff hopes.

The Cleveland Guardians (83-75) and Chicago White Sox (82-76) both picked up wins on Tuesday, inching one step closer to the playoffs.

Those results mean the Blue Jays (77-80) will only make the playoffs if they win all five of their remaining games and the Guardians and White Sox both lose all five of theirs.

The Blue Jays will return to the field for a doubleheader at Camden Yards on Wednesday, then have a day off Thursday before three final home games against the Cincinnati Reds.

Toronto: at Baltimore, 1:35 p.m. and 6:35 p.m., Sportsnet, Sportsnet+ Cleveland : at Boston, 7:10 p.m. Chicago White Sox: at Kansas City, 7:40 p.m., Sportsnet+ Texas: vs. NY Mets, 8:05 p.m. Houston: at Seattle, 10:10 p.m.

BOSTON — Nathaniel Lowe had a tiebreaking sacrifice fly off reliever Erik Miller in the ninth inning, and the Cleveland Guardians maintained their slim first-place lead in the AL Central with a 3-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.

Angel Martínez had three hits for the Guardians, who entered the day with a one-game lead over the White Sox atop the Central. Chicago owns the tiebreaker by winning the season series. Cleveland stranded 15 baserunners.

The loss was Boston’s eighth in 12 games, spoiling Chad Tracy’s first game as manager after the club named him its 49th in team history.

Adley Rutschman added three hits for Boston, which clinched one of the AL’s wild-card spots Sunday.

Boston pinch hitter Mickey Gasper hit Hunter Gaddis’ first pitch, tying it at 2-2 leading off the eighth.

Gaddis (5-3) got the win and Cade Smith the final three outs for his 40th save.

A strong candidate for the AL Rookie of the Year, Cleveland left-hander Parker Messick gave up a run over five innings. He lowered his ERA to 2.55 and is on pace to become the fourth rookie starting pitcher in MLB history with an ERA under 2.60 and averaging 9.0 or more strikeouts per nine innings.

In his tune-up for a likely playoff start next week, Boston lefty Payton Tolle struggled with his control over 5 2/3 innings, giving up two runs on eight hits. In his previous start on Sept. 13, he had Boston’s second recorded immaculate inning that opened a game.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chase Meidroth hit a three-run homer and had a career-high five RBIs, Randal Grichuk added a three-run shot among his four hits, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 14-11 on Tuesday night to stay a game behind Cleveland in the AL Central.