[Art Deco]

No need to hype this series - with the Rays and Jays in mortal combat for first place the last few weeks, a decisive outcome for either team could give them a serious leg up with little more than 1/3 of the season left. And a decisive outcome is what the Rays delivered, sweeping the Jays and opening up a 4-game lead in the division. And "decisive" also described the three games as the Rays outscored Toronto by an aggregate of 20-5.

Nominally the first game was the closest as the Rays won 4-2 but even that was a bit deceiving as Toronto scored twice in the 9th. But the Rays first had to deal with adversity as Tyler Glasnow had to leave the game in the 2nd inning with what was diagnosed as a bone spur in his elbow, which will shelve him 2-3 weeks. So it was a bullpen game and the bullpen did the job, starting with new acquisition Justin Dunn immediately pressed into action. He went 2 2/3 scoreless and picked up the win and Nick Sandlin was also huge with 3 scoreless and 4 Ks. The offense came via 2 in the first on RBI doubles from old standbys Brandon Lowe and Austin Meadows, and then a 2-run homer in the 4th from Vidal Brujan (#10), who continued his improbable power surge (rated 40!).

Transaction: Tyler Glasnow placed on the 10-day IL, Taj Bradley recalled from AAA Durham.

Bradley is a quality starter prospect but he'll go into long relief with Justin Dunn moving into the rotation in Glasnow's spot. After being promoted to Durham, Bradley pitched to a 2.13 ERA in 38 IP over 6 starts with a 10/42 BB/K ratio and is rated for 65 stuff as a reliever.

The Rays didn't fool around in the second game, scoring all 8 of their runs in the first two innings and blanking the Jays 8-0. Toronto and Nate Pearson were nearly out of the first with two out but Randy Arozarena shook out of his season-long doldrums to deliver a big 2-run single and Lewin Diaz singled home Arozarena. In the second inning Jorge Ona had to come in for Austin Meadows who left with knee tendinitis (minimal, but DtD for about 10 days) and all he did was deliver a grand slam (HR #13). Meanwhile Joe Ryan (7-6) owned Jays hitters to the tune of 7.2 3 0 0 2 8, leaving with two on and two out in the 8th. Enter Taj Bradley in his MLB debut, who struck out Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and then two more Jays in a 1-2-3 9th.

Tampa Bay picked up where it left off in Game 2 by putting up another snowman in an 8-3 win. Chris Sale started and struggled against the almost exclusively righty-hitting lineup of the Jays and gave up runs in the first two innings, battling baserunners throughout but got the win despite a 5 9 3 3 1 2 line. That's because the Rays answered those single runs in the top of the 1st and 2nd with a pair of 3-spots, bringing the boomsticks. After Adley Rutschman tied it in the first with a single, Randy Arozarena hit a 2-run blast (#10), and in the 2nd Jorge Ona homered again (#14) and "Babe" Brujan went deep with a man on (#11) and the Rays never really looked back, something they'd also like to say about the division after this series.

Team record: 59-43. Next up: 3 games in Texas where the Rays will try to avoid a letdown.