Tampa Bay Rays

Chris Archer continues to put his nightmarish 19-loss 2016 season behind him — even when he doesn’t win.

After giving up three home runs in a span of five batters in his previous start and taking his first loss of the season, Archer bounced back nicely Sunday. He allowed one run in 7 1⁄3 innings against the Blue Jays to lower his ERA to 3.43.

Even though the bullpen couldn’t hold the lead, manager

Kevin Cash was pleased with the way Archer pitched.

“Archer was outstanding,” Cash said. “I couldn’t be happier, more impressed, the way Archer threw the ball.”

Colby Rasmus, who missed the first month of the season while recovering from offseason surgeries, is expected to make his season debut soon. He’ll play left field, which will force Corey

Dickerson into the designated hitter’s role full time. Rasmus will play center on occasion to give Kevin Kiermaier a day off.

Right- hander Austin Pruitt has settled down and been a strong addition to the bullpen as the long man. His scoreless streak reached 9 2⁄3 innings before he

“Your first thought is, ‘OK, I’m going to run him over because he’s right over the plate.’ Then I was thinking, since he was down, ‘Why don’t you jump?’ I just jumped, and the rest is history.” Toronto’s Chris Coghlan, on his run-scoring leap over St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina on April 25

allowed a run April 28 at Toronto. Opponents batted .541, and he allowed at least one run during his first six appearances. They hit .125 in his next four outings.