Bryan Baker struck out one in a scoreless ninth, earning the save in the Rays’ 7-6 win over the Blue Jays.
Make that 36 saves for Baker this year, which leads MLB and is four more than Riley O’Brien, who ranks second. It has been a tremendous season for the closer, who has a 1.44 ERA. Most of the offseason was spent wondering how Tampa Bay would split save chances among Griffin Jax, Garrett Cleavinger, and Edwin Uceta. While all three have dealt with injury, Baker seized the job early on. His success is a reminder of how tricky it can be to pinpoint a closer when a bullpen lacks an obvious candidate.