ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. _ The Rays aren't going to win 'em all.
Though after they pulled another one out late on Saturday night, rallying in the eighth to beat the Blue Jays, 5-3, and make it nine wins in their last 10, they look like they could make a run at it.
But the real question is how many of the remaining 18 games do the Rays, now 85-59, need to win to make it into playoffs as one of the two AL wild-card teams. Will nine, getting them to 94 wins, be enough? Do they need 10, and thus 95?
Of those 18 games, four are against the Jays (one Sunday, three to finish the season), who they've beaten 11 times in 15 games already. They leave after Sunday's game for an eight-game country-crossing trip that starts with three games at the Rangers and three at the Angels, two below .500 teams not playing for much. But then they play two at the NL-best Dodgers, and come home for four with the Red Sox, who may be still alive in the wild-card race, and two with the Yankees before going to Toronto.
With Charlie Morton zipping through the first five innings and the hitters scratching out two runs, the Rays looked to be in good shape. But Morton faltered in the sixth, allowing five straight Jays to reach and three to score.
The Rays came back to tie it in the seventh, when Kean Wong rapped his first big league hit, and Daniel Robertson followed with one of his few big one this season.
Then the Rays took the lead for good in the eighth.
Pinch-hitter Ji-Man Choi led off with a walk, then Kevin Kiermaier doubled. Had the Rays used a pinch-runner for Choi, that would have been enough for the lead. Instead they had to wait through a Joey Wendle strikeout, then a sac fly by pinch-hitter Travis d'Arnaud, which scored Mike Brosseau, who was sent in then to run for Choi. Then Robertson came through with a single to add an insurance run. Oliver Drake worked the ninth to seal it.
As a result, the Rays will at the least maintain their lead in AL wild-card race, coming in one game ahead of the A's 1 { over the Indians, who both played later Saturday.
Facing Jays debuting rookie Anthony Kay, a promising prospect acquired from the Mets in the Marcus Stroman trade, the Rays didn't do much the first time through the order.
They rallied in the fourth for two runs, though could have had more.
Singles by Avisail Garcia, Tommy Pham and Austin Meadows, who picked up his team-leading 77th RBI, produced one run.
But they got only one more. Jesus Aguilar flied out then Matt Duffy was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Kiermaier struck out. Willy Adames drew a walk to force in the second run, but then Mike Zunino struck out.
The lead didn't last for long.
Morton had worked effectively and efficiently through the first five innings, allowing one hit and one walk, hitting Rowdy Tellez twice and striking out eight.
But after a strikeout to open the sixth, things changed quickly, as five straight Jays reached, and three scored.
A Tellez single, Vlad Guerrero Jr. double and Justin Smoak walk loaded the bases with Jays. Reese McGuire singled in one run, Jonathan Davis did the same for another, and Billy McKinney's sac fly to center gave the Jays a 3-2 lead.
The start was significant for Morton in other ways.
It was his 30th of the season, matching last year for the most in his career for a full season. And he surpassed his previous career high for regular-season innings, 171 2/3, set in 2011, when he first got to the majors fulltime. (Counting postseason and rehab games, his most is 180 1/3 innings in 2017.)
While that doesn't seem like the wisest strategy for a 35-year-old, especially one who has been on the disabled list every season since 2011, including a short stint last year with Houston due to shoulder discomfort, Morton understands there is not much else the Rays can do but keeping running him out there as they've lost three other starters for extended periods due to injury.
"There's a part of me I think that has to be aware of that, what I've done in the past and what I've not been able to do in the past," Morton said going into the start. "I'm sure they're aware of that, I'm sure the guys in the front office are aware. I'm sure Kyle (Snyder, the pitching coach) is aware.
"I'm trying to be transparent with how I feel. And being smart. We don't necessarily have the luxury of just saying, "Hey, we'll skip a start.' We don't have that. I do feel like there is responsibility there for me to be transparent and make somewhat of an educated decision going forward.
"But at the same time, it's September and we're (leading the wild-card race). It kind of is what it is at this point. The innings I've thrown, the games I've started, whatever's happened here, it kind of is what it is at this point.
"I've looked at the schedule, it's like I've got four or five more starts in the regular season. That's not really an overwhelming thing when I see that. ... I feel good comparatively speaking to where I've been, especially last year. I feel good. So I'm hopeful moving forward."
Manager Kevin Cash said the Rays are doing what they can to manage Morton's workload, well aware of how remarkably valuable he has been around the clubhouse, in the dugout and, most significantly, on the mound.
"We've given some extra days here quite a bit," Cash said. "I think Kyle has done the best he possibly can given what's taken place. Certainly not ideal. This isn't how maybe we drew it up. But we've tried to talk to Charlie throughout the season, wanting an extra day, two extra days, whatever it is. Unfortunately with some of these injuries, they've been tough to come by. But he's been outstanding for us."
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