The Tampa Bay Rays may be out of playoff contention, but their opponent the Toronto Blue Jays are in the thick of it. Right now that are sitting in the 2nd Wild Card spot .5 game back the Baltimore Orioles, and only 2.5 games back the division leading Boston Red Sox. Sweeping the Rays could put them back on top, but they aren’t going down without a fight.
Game 1
The series opener was a pitchers duel between Jake Odorizzi and Francisco Liriano. One runs scored until the 6th when Jose Bautista knocks a 2 run shot to left to score Devon Travis. 2-0 Blue Jays. In the 7th the Rays would respond by way of 2 solo home runs; Evan Longoria’s 32nd and Brad Miller’s 28th. The game would be tied up 2-2 going into the 8th, but not for long. Ezequiel Carrera goes year on Brad Boxberger. 3-2 Blue Jays. Roberto Osuna came in to close it out and that would be game. All home runs all day. Blue Jays win 3-2.
W: Grilli (6-5) L: Boxberger (3-1) S: Osuna (32)
Game 2
Game 2 started out in a similar fashion as the first; quiet at the plate. Both Drew Smyly and Marcus Stroman were keeping hitters at bay until the 5th when the newest member to the Rays clubhouse, Alexei Ramirez hits a 3 run shot to left to score Corey Dickerson and Steven Souza Jr. 3-0 Rays. In the 6th Russell Martin would take back 2 of the runs with a 2 run home run to left to score Bautista. 3-2 Rays. Fortunately for the Rays those would be the only runs the Blue Jays would score. In the 7th Souza Jr would hit his 17th home run of the season. 4-2 Rays. In the 9th the Rays would add insult to injury and Corey Dickerson would score on fielder’s choice and Souza Jr would score on a wild pitch. Final score 6-2 Rays.
W: Smyly (7-11) L: Stroman (9-8)
Game 3
The Rays were riding high on the runs of yesterday’s game and were looking to close out the series with a win. This game was slow to start, with the Blue Jays scoring the first run in the 1st. Edwin Encarnacion would hit a sacrifice fly to score Travis off of Alex Cobb. In the 4th the Rays would once again start the onslaught of runs unto the Blue Jays. First Kevin Kiermaier would go long for the 12th time this season to score Logan Forsythe. Then Dickerson would hit a grounder to center to score Miller. 3-1 Rays. The Rays would score 3 more runs in the 6th. Another 2 run shot by DIckerson to score Franklin and a single of by Forsythe to score Souza Jr. Rays up 6-1. The Rays would not stop there. In the 9th Miller would hit a sacrifice fly to score Kiermaier and Dickerson would hit into a fielder’s choice to score Longoria. 8-1 Rays. The Jays would never recover and that would be game.
W: Cobb (1-0) L: Estrada (8-9)
You’re Welcome Red Sox fans.
