TORONTO – George Springer hit a two-run homer as part of a four-run seventh inning and the Toronto Blue Jays rallied past the Tampa Bay Rays 7-2 on Tuesday to split a day-night doubleheader.
Randy Arozarena drove in runs in the first and third innings as Tampa held on for a 4-2 win in the afternoon game.
Pinch-hitter Whit Merrifield had a two-run double as part of the seventh-inning rally for Toronto (80-62) before Springer brought him home with his blast. Teoscar Hernandez, Alejandro Kirk and Matt Chapman each drove in a run.
Alek Manoah was scheduled to start the matinee for the Blue Jays, but had his start delayed to the evening thanks to a stomach ailment.
Manoah pitched 6 2/3 innings, striking out five but allowing two runs on five hits and two walks. Anthony Bass (4-3), Adam Cimber, Jordan Romano of Markham, Ont., and Zach Pop combined for 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.
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The win put the Blue Jays ahead of the Rays by half a game in the tightly contested American League wild-card race.
Ji-Man Choi and Jonathan Aranda each had a solo home run for Tampa Bay (79-62).
Yonny Chirinos scattered three hits over four innings, striking out two. Garrett Cleavinger, Jalen Beeks, Colin Poche, and Kevin Herget came out of the Rays’ bullpen.
Choi opened the scoring in the third, working Manoah to a full count before launching an 80.8 m.p.h. slider to deep right field. The no-doubt shot was Choi’s 10th of the season.
Kirk tied it up in the sixth when his dribbler up the first-base line gave Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ample time to score from third.
Aranda restored Tampa Bay’s lead in the top of the seventh, sailing a 83.7 m.p.h change-up over the left-field wall to make it 2-1.
Interim Blue Jays manager John Schneider made a series of lineup changes in the bottom of the seventh to give Toronto its first lead of the game.
Santiago Espinal replaced Cavan Biggio to lead off the inning and drew a walk and advanced to third on two wild pitches from Poche. After Chapman struck out, Danny Jansen pitch hit for Raimel Tapia and drew a walk, bringing Merrifield — in for Jackie Bradley Jr. — to the plate.
Merrifield wired the first pitch he saw down the left-field line for a double, cashing in Espinal and Bradley Zimmer, who was running in Jansen’s stead, to make it 3-2.
Springer then came to the plate, crushing an 83.8 m.p.h. curveball from Poche to deep left field, bringing the Rogers Centre crowd of 25,103 to their feet and handing Toronto a 5-2 lead.
Hernandez tacked on a run in the eighth, doubling in Kirk, who had led off the inning with a single. Chapman’s sacrifice fly brought Hernandez home for a 7-2 lead.
ON DECK — Toronto’s Ross Stripling (7-4) gets the start for the fourth instalment of the five-game series against Tampa Bay. Drew Rasmussen (10-4) is scheduled for the Rays.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2022.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version incorrectly had Arozarena driving in runs in the first and second innings, instead of first and third
© 2022 The Canadian Press
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