Renfroe, Rays top Jays
Grand slam helps Tampa Bay eliminate young Toronto squad
The Tampa Bay Rays gathered in front of their dugout and posed for a celebratory team picture they’re hoping will not be the last they take this postseason.
Hunter Renfroe hit a grand slam and the top-seeded Rays won a postseason series for the first time in 12 years, overpowering the young Toronto Blue Jays 8-2 Wednesday to finish a twogame sweep of their wild-card matchup.
And with a roster featuring just a handful of players who have posted impressive resumes so far, the AL East champs believe they’re nowhere near finished.
“We’ve been confident since Day 1. So if we put the our heads down and just do what we’ve been doing and prepare like we’ve been preparing, the sky’s the limit,“winning pitcher Tyler Glasnow said.
Said manager Kevin Cash: “We have very good players first and foremost.“
“I understand the back of the baseball card stuff and some of our guys are not as established,” he said. “What we do have, what makes it formidable is that the entire roster is used to help us win games. We do that consistently during the season and are definitely going to do it in the postseason.”
Renfroe launched the first playoff grand slam in franchise history during a six-run second
inning. Glasnow kept Tampa Bay ahead from there, allowing two runs — on a pair of homers by Danny Jansen — in six innings.
Mike Zunino hit a two-run homer off Blue Jays ace Hyun Jin Ryu during Tampa Bay’s big inning. Manuel Margot and Randy Arozarena also drove in runs as the Rays advanced to the AL Division series against either the New York Yankees or Cleveland Indians.