Toronto, Canada – Alejandro Kirk shined with two home runs, including his first grand slam in his career, and the Toronto Blue Jays clinched their American League East Division title for the first time in a decade, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays with a score of 13-4 in the last game of the regular season.
George Springer and Addison Barger also contributed home runs for the Blue Jays, who needed the victory or a loss by the New York Yankees to secure the divisional championship for the seventh time in team history and the first since 2015. Toronto (94-68) also secured the best record in the American League, which gives them the home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs.
The Toronto team will host Game 1 of the best-of-five divisional series on Saturday against the winner of the Wild Card Series between the Boston Red Sox and the Yankees.
Kirk secured the victory with a grand slam in the first inning and a two-run home run in the fifth, culminating in the eleventh sweep of the season for the Blue Jays and extending their winning streak to four games.
Kirk has 15 home runs this season, his career high. This was his second multi-home run game of the season and the sixth of his career.
Kirk finished the game batting 3 for 5 with six RBIs. He also hit a home run in Saturday’s 5-1 victory.
Springer went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored, and a walk.
Mason Fluharty (5-2) threw 1⅓ scoreless innings out of the bullpen, striking out Jonathan Aranda to leave the bases loaded in the fourth inning.
Aranda drove in three runs, and Richie Palacios added three hits for the Rays, who finished with a 77-85 record. Aranda had two hits against Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman, who allowed four runs and eight hits in 3⅔ innings.
Tampa Bay’s lefty, Ian Seymour (4-3), allowed six runs and seven hits in 3⅓ innings, while right-hander Edwin Uceta allowed Kirk’s second home run.
Barger extended the lead to 10-4 with a two-run homer off Kevin Kelly in the seventh, his 21st. Myles Straw drove in Kelly with a triple, and Springer greeted Bryan Baker with his 32nd home run.
Yandy Díaz of Tampa Bay did not play on Sunday after raising his batting average to .300 by going 1-2 on Saturday. Díaz played a career-high 150 games this season.
Rays regulars Brandon Lowe and Chandler Simpson were also out of the starting lineup.
