The Blue Jays lead the Rays by four runs in the sixth

street. PETERSBURG — There is incredible stubbornness to the Blue Jays.

They’re not the flashy team, taking out haymakers early or coming back late in the game, but they’ve made a habit of not blinking first.

Friday night’s 6-2 win over the Rays at Tropicana Field looked a lot like what Tampa Bay has done to Toronto over the years, patiently waiting for the other club to falter and then taking advantage of that weakness.

“This is how we need to win ballgames,” junior Chris Bassett said. “I think a lot of people thought our identity was influential coming into the year, and now it’s kind of like an embarrassing panic. But I think our identity is pitching and defense. I think that’s what wins a World Series. It’s pitching and defense.”

“Yes, our hitting has been sporadic at times, but if our pitching keeps us in games, games like this can happen. We’ll try to outlast you.”

With the Rangers and Mariners playing the first of seven head-to-head games on Friday, the Blue Jays have done their part to keep their door wide open for the postseason while the other two teams in the race take on each other.

Whether Toronto can achieve elite pitching remains a real and justified concern, but wins like Friday’s display show what it’s like when it doesn’t matter.

Rays outfielder Tyler Glasnow represented exactly that challenge, reaching the peak of his talent and carrying a bunt into the sixth, but that’s when the Blue Jays started to feel vulnerable.

George Springer and Bo Bichette tore off defenders’ gloves and stole a base, and then the rally began. The Blue Jays loaded the bases, walked home and then scored another run when Matt Chapman took the ball from the hip, which has become an unusually popular source of offense in Toronto.

It was the team’s seventh hit with the bases loaded this season, moving the Blue Jays ahead of the Dodgers for the most in Major League Baseball. Glasnow was no longer on the mound at that point, as the Blue Jays turned the game completely in their favor.

“A group that can do those things has been here all year, and when you’re not in a rush, you make better decisions about what you’re going to do,” manager John Schneider said. “That’s what we did. When you go up against really good pitchers, I think there’s an increased sense of what It happens. On the same date every year. We’ll take a few walks, hit a pitch, and hit some big hits.

Was this the most exciting of four rounds of the season? No, but winning is always the style.

Of course, this approach doesn’t work without one of the best crews on the planet. If the Blue Jays had a mediocre rotation, many of these games would be too far away from them to matter, but Bassett has gone on to have a very impressive season since the starting five.

Bassett held the Rays to two runs over 6 2/3 frames and struck out eight, showing no signs of slowing down despite the massive workload. At 192 1/3 innings, Bassett ranks fourth in the MLB and he gave himself a shot at his first 200-inning season in his final regular-season outing next week in Toronto.

As good as this rotation is, its health and consistency have been equally impressive. José Berríos (12th) and Kevin Gausman (18th) both rank near the top of MLB in innings pitched as well.

“I think a lot of people look at my age and say my workload will probably decrease, but I’ve learned my body and I’ve learned what it takes for me to pitch every day, especially post,” Bassett said. -Tommy John [surgery].

“We’ve been dealing with the workload in the offseason so far, and everything is changing in the right direction. It’s about learning my body.”

So this is the recipe, and Friday is the plan.

The Blue Jays have built a strong defensive corps behind an elite rotation and deep bullpen, and in their eyes, the offense doesn’t need to be the third star; You just need to be stubborn enough to find a way.