Rays rally to defeat Jays in high-scoring affair
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays scored five in the first inning, managed to lose that lead, then rallied for a wild 10-8 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night at Tropicana Field.
Steven Souza's two-run double put the Rays (3-2) back ahead in the sixth inning, and five Tampa Bay relievers held off Toronto (1-3), whose pitchers gave up 13 hits and seven walks. The Blue Jays' bullpen was strained after starter Francisco Liriano lasted only one out.
Toronto again pulled within a run in the eighth when Josh Donaldson hit a solo home run to straightaway center, immediately after Logan Morrison couldn't track down a pop in foul territory. The Rays got an insurance run in the eighth with Derek Norris' RBI single for a 10-8 lead, and Rays closer Alex Colome got the final four outs for his third save.
Fitting for a rough night on the mound, the win went to reliever Xavier Cedeno (1-0), who issued two bases-loaded walks to put Toronto ahead and retired a single batter before the Rays rallied in the sixth. Former Rays pitcher J.P. Howell (0-1), who faced four batters and gave up two hits and two walks, took the loss. Toronto lost despite four RBIs from Troy Tulowitzki, including a solo home run.
Tampa Bay, having lost a four-run lead and trailing 7-6 in the sixth, loaded the bases and got a two-run double from Souza for an 8-7 lead. Another walk loaded the bases and Morrison hit an RBI single to make it 9-7. The Rays had the bases loaded with one out from there, but Joe Smith got two strikeouts to end the inning.
The Rays, who jumped ahead 6-2 early thanks to four walks in the first inning, returned the favor with four walks in the sixth, including two with the bases loaded from Cedeno to turn a 6-5 lead into a 7-6 deficit.
The Rays led 5-2 after one inning, chasing Liriano as seven batters reached base, four on walks.
Evan Longoria tied the score at 2 with his second home run of the season. After two more walks, Brad Miller hit a two-run double for a 4-2 lead. Then after a fourth walk, rookie Daniel Robertson got his first major-league hit to load the bases and an RBI groundout from Peter Bourjos made it a 5-2 Rays' lead.
Toronto had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on a two-run double by Tulowitzki after a single by Jose Bautista and a double by Kendrys Morales. Liriano was gone after 35 pitches -- only 13 for strikes -- and one out. Reliever Dominic Leone took over.
The Rays extended the lead to 6-2 in the second on Norris' sacrifice fly, but the Blue Jays started to work their way back into the game.
Tulowitzki hit a solo home run in the fourth to cut it to 6-3 and Toronto got two in the fifth to get within a run. Donaldson doubled, took third on a wild pitch and scored as Bautista sent would have been a sacrifice fly to right field, but it popped out of Souza's glove.
Reliever Jumbo Diaz came in, but Justin Smoak's RBI double cut the lead to 6-5. Matt Andriese, staked to the early lead, lasted only four innings, giving up seven hits and five runs, four earned.
NOTES: Rays OF Kevin Kiermaier accepted his 2016 Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award before the game, and will receive his Rawlings AL Gold Glove before Saturday's game -- the first 15,000 fans Saturday will receive a Kiermaier Gold Glove bobblehead. ... Rays OF Colby Rasmus, on a rehab assignment with Class A Charlotte as he recovers from hip surgery last fall, had Friday off but will play either Saturday or Sunday. ... Toronto got quality starts in each of their first three games -- Marco Estrada, J.A. Happ and Marcus Stroman -- for the first time since 2010. The Jays hadn't had four straight to open a season since 2008, but any chance of that ended when Francisco Liriano was pulled after one out Friday night.