Alejandro Kirk falls triple short of cycle as Blue Jays beat Rays for 6th win in past 8 games

The Toronto Blue Jays are getting hot just in time.

Catcher Alejandro Kirk led the Blue Jays to a 10-5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday. Kirk finished the game 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. He recorded a single and a double, missing the cycle by only a triple.

Kirk is not known for his speed, so the idea of him securing a triple to pull off the cycle always seemed a little far-fetched. He does, however, have one triple in his career, having hit a three-bagger in 2024 against the Rays at Tropicana Field, where Tuesday’s game was held.

The Toronto catcher is having another solid season. Kirk came into Tuesday hitting .271 with a .351 on-base percentage. He has five home runs and 22 RBI in 50 games.

Toronto is starting to heat up down the stretch of the season. Tuesday’s win was the Blue Jays’ sixth win in their past eight games. They’ve also won 10 of their past 15 games, and six of those wins have come against AL East opponents in what is projected to be a tight race as the postseason nears.

There are six weeks left in the regular season, with much still to be decided in the playoff standings. Heading into Tuesday’s action, the Blue Jays were one of six teams within one game of an AL wild-card spot.

The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox hold the first two wild cards, with the Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins, Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians all in the running for the final spot.

With the win Tuesday, Toronto moves to 62-65 on the season. The Blue Jays are in the middle of a hugely important AL East stretch. Toronto took two of three from the Yankees and three of four from the Red Sox last week.

After this week’s set against the Rays, they’ll face the Yankees again this weekend.