TORONTO — The Tampa Bay Rays refuse to go away in the American League wild-card race and the Toronto Blue Jays will play a big role in how long they remain in contention.The Rays and Blue Jays play seven games in the remaining regular-season schedule starting Thursday with the opener of a four-game series at the Rogers Centre.The teams finish their schedules with three games against each other at Tropicana Field. The Rays are 9-3 against the Blue Jays this season.Article continues below ...The Rays defeated the Texas Rangers 9-3 on Wednesday afternoon but remain 5 1/2 games behind Oakland for the second wild-card spot. The Athletics routed the Los Angeles Angels 10-0 on Wednesday night. Tampa Bay had gained 3 1/2 games on the A’s in the previous four days.The Blue Jays had a four-game winning streak end Wednesday night with a 2-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.Tampa Bay is a major league best 31-13 since the beginning of August.“We need help http://www.brewersfanproshop.com/authentic-zach-davies-jersey , there’s no doubt about that,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “I like the way the guys have continued to go about their business day to day. That’s very cliche, but sometimes you have to go with that and control what you can control.”The Rays (85-66) will open Thursday night with right-hander Ryne Stanek (2-3, 2,49 ERA), who will pitch about an inning and will be followed by right-hander Yonny Chirinos (4-5, 3.89), who is expected to work most of the innings. The Blue Jays (69-83) will start right-hander Sam Gaviglio (3-8, 5.25 ERA).Tampa Bay has won five in a row Brent Suter Jersey , 14 of 17 in September and 23 of their past 28.The players are enthusiastic about their postseason chances despite the long odds against them.“I think everybody in this clubhouse is just getting ready for a wild-card game,” pitcher Tyler Glasnow told the Tampa Times.The Rays have some reinforcements joining them Thursday with Triple-A Durham having ended its season.Outfielder Austin Meadows, left-hander Hoby Milner and right-handers Chih-Wei Hu and Austin Pruitt will join the team in Toronto.Stanek has been used frequently as the opener this season and has made 26 starts with 28 relief appearances. He is the first pitcher with at least 25 relief appearances and 25 starts in a season since the Philadelphia Phillies Hugh Mulcahy (26 starts, 30 relief appearances) in 1937. He is the first American League pitcher with a 25-25 season since Eddie Rommel (31-25) of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1923.Stanek has opened four games against the Blue Jays this season and has made one relief appearance against them. He is 0-0 and has allowed no runs, two hits and one walk while striking out seven in six innings.Chirinos has made one appearance against Toronto this year, allowing four hits and one run over seven innings of relief on Sept. 3.Gaviglio will be making his third start of the season against the Rays and the fourth of his career. He is 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA aginst Tampa Bay this season, and 1-2 with a 4.61 ERA against the Rays for his career.In three starts after winning Aug. 21 for the first time since May 25, he is 0-2 with a 7.43 ERA.The Blue Jays have been using September to break in prospects from the minor leagues and that means catcher Russell Martin has barely played in September. He missed some time because he was on paternity leave, but mostly the Blue Jas are taking a good look at young catchers Danny Jansen and Reese McGuire. Martin understands.“We have a couple of young catchers that need work Boone Logan Jersey ,” Martin told reporters Wednesday. “They probably haven’t played that many seasons deep into September, so it kind of gives them an idea of what it’s like, how it taxes your body playing that extra month. But the obvious answer is, I love to compete. I do love to play, but I just feel in this type of situation, what’s best for the team is to see what the young players can do.” SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Arizona Diamondbacks are making themselves right at home at Petco Park.Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run home run, Steven Souza Jr. drove in three and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 9-4 on Friday night.Goldschmidt drove the first pitch he saw from left-hander Joey Lucchesi out to left-center field for his 28th of the season. That got Arizona going en route to its sixth straight win over San Diego at Petco Park.“I thought it was a really good job by our guys to attack the starting pitcher,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “Goldie with the big two-run homerun got us that lead, and we kept adding on.”Souza doubled into the right-center gap with the bases loaded to bring home three runs in the sixth and extend the lead to 8-3.Robbie Ray started for Arizona and walked his first two batters. While Ray held San Diego to two hits http://www.brewersfanproshop.com/authentic-josh-hader-jersey , both by Eric Hosmer, he allowed three runs over 4 2/3 innings. Ray walked five and struck out three.“It was all self-inflicted,” Ray said. “I walked too many guys and they ended up scoring. In crucial situations like that, I’m trying to get a call. It’s tough. They got two hits tonight, but it was on me.”Hosmer homered in the fifth on a ball that just cleared the left field fence beyond Jon Jay’s glove. Arizona challenged the call as it appeared a fan interfered with Jay while spilling a beer, but the call was upheld after replay review.“I thought I had a beat on it, and I thought he moved my hand when I was right there,” Jay said. “I got a little beer on my side — I didn’t get any in my mouth.”Manuel Margot hit a ball to nearly the same spot in the eighth and Jay made another leaping attempt, but a fan caught the ball above Jay’s glove for a solo homer that cut the lead to 9-4.Eduardo Escobar added a solo home run in the eighth against Jose Castillo.“You look at command Max Kepler Jersey , their guy walked five guys, our guy walked three guys,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “Their guy skated by with no more command today and got off the hook. We took our walks early. They made us pay.”Lucchesi (6-7) allowed five runs and nine hits over four innings. He struck out six and walked three.“I think the biggest mistake I had was leaving all my pitches over the plate, and they took advantage of it,” Lucchesi said. “I wasn’t as sharp. I’ve got to do better than that.”San Diego, which has the worst record in the National League at 48-77, has dropped five straight.YOU’RE OUTTA HEREDiamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed was ejected in the third by home plate umpire James Hoye after striking out looking. Daniel Descalsco replaced Ahmed in the lineup. It was Ahmed’s second career ejection.TRAINER’S ROOMPadres: LHP Eric Lauer made a rehab start at Class A Lake Elsinore on Friday night. Lauer has been sidelined since July 31 with a left forearm strain.UP NEXTDiamondbacks: RHP Zack Godley (13-6, 4.20) takes the mound in the third game of the series. Godley is 4-0 in his last eight starts.Padres: LHP Clayton Richard gets the call and looks to continue a stretch of pitching five innings or more in his last four starts.