Aranda homers, drives in three as AL East-leading Rays beat Blue Jays 8-5 for 15th win in 17

TORONTO (AP) — Jonathan Aranda hit a home run and drove in three, Richie Palacios had three hits and three RBIs, and the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8-5 on Monday night, their 15th win in their last 17 games.

Chandler Simpson had three hits, stole two bases and scored three runs as the Rays improved their AL-best record when scoring four runs or more to 21-4. Tampa Bay has won 10 straight and 20 of 21 when scoring four or more.

Andrés Giménez hit two home runs for the Blue Jays, the first multihomer game of his career. Giménez hit a three-run drive off Drew Rasmussen in the second and added a two-run shot off Ian Seymour in the seventh.

Giménez’s homers ended Tampa Bay’s franchise-record streak of allowing three earned runs or fewer at 16 games.

Rasmussen (3-1) allowed three runs and four hits in six innings.

Hunter Bigge got five outs and Bryan Baker finished for his 11th save in 13 chances.

Aranda went 2 for 3 with a sacrifice fly and was hit by a pitch.

After Aranda opened the scoring with his sacrifice fly off Kevin Gausman in the first inning, Palacios made it 3-0 with a two-out, two-run single.

Taylor Walls hit an RBI triple in the second and Aranda added an RBI hit.

Simpson stole third and scored on a throwing error by catcher Brandon Valenzuela in the fourth. Aranda made it 7-3 with a leadoff homer in the fifth.

Gausman (2-3) allowed season-highs of 10 hits and seven runs (six earned), in 4 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out five, reaching 2,000 for his career by fanning Hunter Feduccia to begin the fourth.

Rays LHP Shane McClanahan (4-2, 2.60 ERA) is scheduled to start on Tuesday against Blue Jays LHP Patrick Corbin (1-1, 3.60).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Tampa Bay Rays' Jonathan Aranda breaks his bat while hitting an RBI single during second-inning baseball game action against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Monday, May 11, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman works against the Tampa Bay Rays during first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, May 11, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen works against the Toronto Blue Jays during first-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, May 11, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays' Andres Gimenez, right, celebrates after his three-run home run with teammate Jesus Sanchez (12) during second-inning baseball game action against the Tampa Bay Rays in Toronto, Monday, May 11, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela, left, looks on as Tampa Bay Rays' Jonathan Aranda, right, celebrates after hitting a solo home run during fifth-inning baseball game action in Toronto, Monday, May 11, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points, Chet Holmgren made a tiebreaking dunk with 32.8 seconds to play, and the Oklahoma City Thunder swept the Los Angeles Lakers out of the second round of the NBA playoffs with a 115-110 victory in Game 4 on Monday night.

Ajay Mitchell scored 10 of his 28 points in the frantic final period as the Thunder overcame the Lakers' tenacious effort and improved to 8-0 in the playoffs with their toughest victory of the postseason.

LeBron James had 24 points and 14 rebounds in the final game of the unprecedented 23rd season for the top scorer in NBA history, but he missed a driving bank shot with 20 seconds left that would have put the Lakers ahead.

The 41-year-old James has repeatedly said he hasn’t decided whether to play next season, so there was no ceremony or momentousness around this game. Instead, the Lakers desperately tried to extend their year, only to lose to Oklahoma City for the eighth time this season.

Austin Reaves scored 27 points before missing a tying 3-point attempt with eight seconds left for the Lakers, who advanced one round farther than almost anybody expected after losing NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic and Reaves to significant injuries a month ago.

Los Angeles still lost six of its final seven playoff games and fell well short of the conference finals for the third straight season.

Oklahoma City faced its first fourth-quarter deficits of the entire playoffs in Game 4 as the Lakers repeatedly refused to fold.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, grabs a rebound away from Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein during the first half of Game 4 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso, celebrates after scoring as Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James stands behind during the first half of Game 4 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, right, gestures after scoring as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso runs by during the first half of Game 4 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart, left, shoots as Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren defends during the first half of Game 4 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, right, takes a pass while under pressure from Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura during the first half of Game 4 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Monday, May 11, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)