Trey Yesavage struck out nine in five innings, a Blue Jays debut record, as Toronto edged the Rays 2-1 in 11 innings to open a five-game AL East lead. George Springer produced the deciding two-out single in the 11th off Kevin Kelly. Toronto used six strong outs from Braydon Fisher to close it. Yandy Díaz led Tampa Bay with three hits, including the 11th-inning RBI that kept the Rays in the wild-card hunt, but the Rays struck out 18 times in a losing effort.

Texas Rangers enter the final 11 games needing peak bullpen stamina and a surge from the lineup. The bullpen has shouldered heavy high-leverage work since the All-Star break, while the top-order has stumbled and Seager along with Semien remain sidelined, thinning the offense at a critical moment. A favorable stretch includes Miami and Minnesota, but the ultimate test is a closing run against Houston and Cleveland.

If García, Jung and Pederson heat up and Leiter proves he can eat innings, Texas can still chase a wild-card path. Fantasy managers should watch timelines for Seager and Semien and monitor bullpen usage late, as every win in this tight race compounds into playoff odds.

Yordan Alvarez left ankle sprain after a plate collision, hobbling off in the first inning as Houston built a 2-0 lead over Texas. He had walked earlier and recently returned from a hand injury, posting strong numbers in 18 games with a 1.024 OPS. The Astros immediately reshuffled the outfield, moving Jesús Sánchez to left and bringing rookie Zach Cole into right field.

Houston sits two games up on Texas in the AL West and wild-card chase, while Texas holds a 6-4 season-series edge. Cleveland is within a half-game behind, turning the three-game set into a high-stakes sprint for the final playoff spots.