American League wild-card roundup: Blue Jays remain game back of final spot

The Toronto Blue Jays have made a steep climb back up the standings and into the chase for the playoffs, but that momentum was put on pause Sunday.

With a series-ending 4-3 loss to the New York Yankees and a 10-2 win by the Baltimore Orioles over the Tampa Bay Rays, Toronto didn't gain any ground in the American League, as it still sits a full game back of the final wild-card slot.

Luckily for the Blue Jays, the teams in the hunt around them also failed to capitalize on Sunday. The Texas Rangers, half a game back of Baltimore — and ahead of Toronto — for the third wild-card spot, lost 5-2 to the Athletics. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers also remain one game back after a series-sweeping 7-5 loss to the Chicago White Sox. As for the Minnesota Twins, who entered the day also one game back, they dropped another half game after a 7-5 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

TORONTO — Ben Rice hit a tiebreaking home run in the 10th inning and New York beat Toronto to avoid a three-game sweep.

New York’s four runs were twice as many as they had scored in the previous three games, all losses.

Rice’s first hit of the series was a two-run homer, his33rd this season, off Braydon Fisher (3-4).

Tim Hill gave up an RBI single to Andrés Giménez in the bottom of the 10th but held on for his second save in six chances.

Toronto erased a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the ninth but David Bednar (6-3) stranded the winning run at second base.

Josh Smith reached on Rice’s fielding error to begin the ninth and Alejandro Kirk walked to put the tying run in scoring position. Brandon Valenzuela ran for Kirk and, one out later, both runners moved up on a wild pitch before Ernie Clement tied it with a sacrifice fly.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Colton Cowser hit a two-run homer and Christian Encarnacion-Strand had a three-run double in a seven-run sixth, Trevor Rogers allowed two runs in six innings and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-2 on Sunday.

Jackson Holliday also drove in three runs for Baltimore, which has won three consecutive games as it chases the final wild-card spot in the American League.

Freddy Peralta (5-10) allowed just one hit through 4 2/3 innings but allowed two runs to take the loss in his first start at home for Tampa Bay since being acquired from the New York Mets on Aug. 3. Peralta has not recorded a victory since June 14.

PITTSBURGH — Bryan Reynolds, Brandon Lowe, and Nick Yorke each had two RBIs to lift Pittsburgh over Boston after a 2 1/2-hour rain delay.

The tarp came out after the sixth inning at 3:35 p.m. local time, and play resumed at 6:05.