Jays Keep Hopes Alive With Win

The Toronto Blue Jays know the odds aren't good.

Kelvim Escobar outpitched former teammate Juan Guzman, and Carlos Delgado and Shannon Stewart each hit two-run homers as the Blue Jays kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 6-3 victory over Baltimore on Wednesday night.

Boston beat Tampa Bay 5-4 Wednesday night to clinch a tie for the AL wild card. To tie the Red Sox, the Blue Jays must win their three remaining games and Boston must lose its last four.

"You never know, we have to wait. We just have to go out and play and see what happens in Boston," Escobar said.

After Guzman (10-16) was traded to the Orioles on July 31, Escobar (7-3) replaced him. Escobar went eight innings, giving up three runs and 10 hits, striking out five and walking one.

"It was a very important start," he said. "I took his place and I just want to do ... the best that I can so that I can stay in the rotation."

Robert Person pitched the ninth for his sixth save.

Guzman, who spent 7 ½ seasons with Toronto, made his first start against his former team. He gave up six runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings, struck out seven and walked three.

"It felt weird coming out of a different dugout and pitching against a city I played for for years," Guzman said.

Delgado's 36th homer of the season put the Blue Jays 2-0 ahead in the first.

"We have to play hard all the way through Sunday," Delgado said. "Even if we don't make it we've had a great year and it will carry over to next season."

Consecutive doubles by B.J. Surhoff anMike Bordick cut it to 2-1 in the second, but the Blue Jays made it 5-1 in the bottom half on Alex Gonzalez's RBI sacrifice fly and Stewart's two-run homer.

"We've played tremendous down the stretch, and you cannot ask for more than what we did down the stretch," Stewart said.

Tony Fernandez RBI single in the fifth made it 6-1. Baltimore cut it to 6-3 in the eighth on RBI single's by Calvin Pickering and Ryan Minor.

Notes