Toronto, Ontario The Tampa Bay Rays held off the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 on Friday night as Danny Jansen blooped an opposite-field single with one out in the eighth inning, ending Tyler Alexander’s bid for a perfect game.
The Rays took a 4-0 lead and held on for their 10th victory in 14 games thanks to a two-run home run by Richie Palacios.
Alexander was “mixing it up, spotting it up,” according to Palacios. “That was fantastic.”
In the last six series openers, Tampa Bay has prevailed five times.
According to Lowe, “winning the first game leaves a statement that we’re here to play good baseball.”
Before Jansen smashed a 1-0 changeup off the end of his bat near the low, outside corner, Alexander (2-2) retired his previous 22 batters. Between Josh Lowe, the right fielder, and Palacios, the second baseman, the ball landed neatly 206 feet from the plate.
Lowe remarked, “He blooped it in flawlessly.”
Although Alexander’s previous start saw him give up a season-high six runs, including three home runs, Rays catcher Ben Rortvedt said he was aware early on Friday of Alexander’s potential.
Rortvedt remarked, “I could see he was feeling it in the bullpen.” “He was hitting every pitch in every zone quadrant.”
As the game progressed, Alexander claimed to have a better understanding of the stakes.
Alexander declared, “I was very conscious of what I was doing.” “I guess I was simply trying not to overdo it. I am just attempting to remain in my own skin.
After 97 pitches, Alexander delivered the single. Two pitches later, Davis Schneider hit a home run to reduce Toronto’s deficit to 4-2, and on Alexander’s 105th and last pitch, Daulton Varsho singled—three more than Alexander’s previous career high.
“That was a pretty impressive outing,” Kevin Cash, manager of the Rays, stated. “Happy for him.”
Alexander had three-ball counts on each of the three batters in the seventh inning, requiring 23 pitches to finish. In his seventh start and ninth appearance of the season, he struck out four and walked none.
John Schneider, the manager of the Blue Jays, stated of Alexander, “I think he grew better as the game went on.” “He was actually locating up, down, in, and out.”
For the second out of the sixth, Lowe had stooped to make a sliding catch on a sinking liner by Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
Alexander, a 29-year-old playing in his sixth major league season, has not finished a game in 49 starts. His previous best was seven innings.
On July 26, 2010, right-hander Matt Garza struck out five against Detroit at Tropicana Field to record the only no-hitter in Rays history.
Alexander (2-2) was replaced by Manuel Rodríguez, and Varsho advanced to third on Díaz’s misdirected throw after pinch hitter Daniel Vogelbach reached on a fielder’s choice.
With an RBI single off Manuel Rodríguez, pinch-hitter Cavan Biggio brought Toronto within one run, and George Springer grounded into a double play to close the inning.
Pete Fairbanks recorded his fourth save out of five appearances with a spotless ninth inning.
In order to increase his career-best streak of safely reaching 16 games, Isaac Paredes walked three times.
In the sixth, Tampa Bay scored three runs. Guerrero threw a toss to Randy Arozarena, who doubled and scored. After Paredes walked, Palacios launched his fourth two-run home run off Chris Bassitt.
In the seventh, Díaz had a single with RBI.
In five and a third innings, Bassitt (3-6) gave up three runs and five hits. Out of his last five starts, the right-hander has lost four of them.
The Trainer’s Chamber
Rays: 2B According to Cash, Brandon Lowe (strained right oblique) might make his Triple-A Durham debut this weekend and could be back with the squad as early as Monday.
Blue Jays: first base Schneider reported that Joey Votto (right ankle) has begun to face live pitching. Votto hasn’t played since suffering an ankle injury during spring training in March.
Next Up
On Saturday afternoon, Rays RHP Zach Eflin (3-4, 3.91 ERA) takes on the Blue Jays in an attempt to win three straight games. Toronto starts RHP Kevin Gausman (2-3, 4.95).
