The Tampa Bay Rays for the second straight night spotted the Toronto Blue Jays a multiple-run lead in the first inning. But unlike Friday’s loss, they rallied Saturday from down 3-0 to pull out a 5-3 victory, tying the weekend series at a game apiece.
Rays opener Brent Honeywell Jr. nearly got through the first inning unscathed after allowing a leadoff single to Cavan Biggio and a two-out base hit by Rowdy Tellez, as Randal Grichuk popped the first pitch up in foul territory. But Yandy Diaz couldn’t make the catch, and on the next pitch, Grichuk blasted a three-run homer to give Toronto the early lead.
The Rays got a run back in the second inning, as Mike Zunino got a hanging slider from Jays starter Robbie Ray and deposited it in the seats in left for his team-leading fourth home run of the season.
The game stayed 3-1 until the sixth, when Ray had to see the Tampa Bay lineup a third time. Randy Arozarena started the frame with a base hit, and after Brandon Lowe struck out, Mike Brosseau tied the game with a deep home run to left, his second of the year.
Ray would get out of the inning with the game tied, but the Toronto bullpen could not keep things even. In the eighth, Jordan Romano walked both Lowe and Brosseau to start the inning, and Manuel Margot laced a ground ball through the wickets of Biggio at third for a two-base error. Lowe broke the tie, but Brosseau was thrown out at the plate.
Kevin Kiermaier’s groundout scored Margot, giving the Rays an insurace run and setting the score at 5-3.
Ryan Thompson earned his second win of the season, getting the final out of the seventh and working a scoreless eighth. Andrew Kittredge allowed a one-out double to Biggio in the ninth, but closed the door for his first save of 2021.
Tampa Bay can take the series with a win in Sunday’s rubber match. Luis Patino (1-0, 5.19 ERA in 2020 with San Diego) will make his Rays debut as the opener, with Josh Fleming pitching in a bulk role. Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-2, 3.00 ERA) will start for the Blue Jays. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
