Rays rout Blue Jays 8-2 to advance
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. » Hunter Renfroe hit a grand slam and the topseeded Tampa Bay Rays won a postseason series for the first time in 12 years, overpowering the young Toronto Blue Jays 8-2 Wednesday to finish a two-game sweep of their AL wild-card matchup.
Renfroe launched the first playoff grand slam in franchise history during a six-run second inning. Tyler Glasnow kept Tampa Bay ahead f rom there, allowing two runs — on a pair of homers by Danny Jansen — in six innings.
Mike Zunino hit a tworun 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.
The next round starts Monday at Petco Park in San Diego. Renfroe is plenty familiar with the stadium — he hit 85 home runs in the previous three years for the Padres before being traded to the Rays last December.
The Rays celebrated with some hugs and handshakes after the final out.
Glasnow, who walked one and struck out eight before a small gathering of family and friends who were allowed to attend the
series at Tropicana Field.
Ryu was rocked for a season-high seven runs in 1 2/3 innings, the lefty’s shortest outing of the season for the wild-card Blue Jays.
The Rays, who won Game 1 with a nice mix of pit ching, defense and timely hitting, had dropped five consecutive multigame postseason series dating to the 2008 World Series.
A year ago, they beat Oakland in the AL wildcard game before losing to Houston in the division round — a five-game setback that nevertheless heightened team expectations heading into this season.
Manager Kevin Cash’s team delivered this year,
winning the AL East.
Ryu signed with the Blue Jays in free agency last winter after being an AllStar with the Los Angeles Dodgers and finishing second in NL Cy Young Award balloting in 2019.
The 33-year-old lefty had the AL’s fourth-best ERA this season. And, his career mark of .295 is thirdbest behind Clayton Kershaw (2.43) and Jacob deGrom (2.61) among active pitchers with at least 700 innings pitched.
Ryu’s impressive credentials meant nothing Wednesday.
The Rays began the first inning with three straight hits and scored their first run on Manuel Margot’s one- out single. Ryu es
caped a bases- loaded jam by striking out Willy Adames, however his outing got worse the next inning.
After Zunino’s homer made it 3- 0, Tampa Bay loaded the bases again on a double, walk and shortstop Bo Bichette’s second error of the day.
Renfroe, obtained from San Diego in an offseason trade that sent Tommy Pham to the Padres, hit his grand slam into the left field seats to extend the lead to 7-0.
Up Next
The Rays will play in the AL division round for the sixth time in franchise history, with all of the appearances coming since 2008.