Sloppy play by Jays lets Rays avoid being swept
The Toronto Blue Jays couldn't complete the sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, having been guilty of a few too many physical and mental errors and unable to summon enough hits on an afternoon when hits were at a premium.
Robbie Ray pitched well enough to win, but he didn't get any run support. In seven innings, he struck out six and gave up five hits.
It wasn't enough, though, as visiting Tampa ended its 10-game road losing streak by beating the Jays 5-1 at Buffalo's Sahlen Field.
On June 25, Baltimore ended a 20-game road losing streak in an extra-innings win over the Jays.
The way the Jays have been swinging the bats, Sunday's setback was not exactly the way they wanted to end a series as an off-day looms on Monday.
Sunday also marked the first game of Toronto's second half of the season, which sees the team sitting at 43-39.
Far too sloppy, the Jays got exactly what they deserved, even though Ray deserved better.
With one out in the ninth, George Springer lost his footing in the box amid a chewed-up area around home plate.he recovered, but struck out on a checked swing.
The Jays struck out 12 times against three Tampa Bay pitchers and had more errors than runs, not exactly a formula conducive for winning.
Ray began the sixth inning, his third time through Tampa's lineup, by issuing a four-pitch walk to Randy Arozarena.
Danny Jansen, in his first game back from a rehab assignment, threw out Arozarena trying to steal second.
It was only the second runner Jansen has thrown out this season. The out proved quite timely. Wander Franco went the other way for a home run, the 20th long ball Ray has yielded.
Instead of Tampa taking a 2-1 lead, the game was knotted at 1-1.
As it turned out, the Rays did take a 2-1 lead when Teoscar Hernandez misread a ball in right field off the bat of Yandy Diaz that went for a double.
Toronto opened the scoring in the second when Randal Grichuk hit a two-out solo bomb, his 15th home run of the season.
BO KNOWS ERRORS
Bo Bichette turns the routine at short into an adventure.
In his case, it's best described as a misadventure.
For the 13th time this season, Bichette committed an error when he booted a ball on the kind of play little-leaguers make in their sleep.
Luckily for the Jays, the bobbled ball didn't cost them anything other than forcing Ray to throw a few extra pitches.
It should have been an inning-ending out when Mike Brosseau hit a routine ball with two out.
Bichette couldn't field it and the inning continued.
Manuel Margot popped out in foul territory to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to end Tampa Bay's top half of the fifth.
ESPY ON THE BENCH
A day after he went deep for his first time in the show, Santiago Espinal was not in the lineup for the series finale.
The Jays decided to use Cavan Biggio at third base. Biggio has hit Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough well, entering the day with 8-for-17 and one home run against Yarbrough.
In his first at-bat Sunday, Biggio struck out looking in the second.
He ended the game 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.
DOLIS BACK IN THE FOLD
Rafael Dolis returned to action. The right-hander has been sidelined with a right middle finger strain.
Dolis started the ninth inning in a 2-1 game and watched as Bichette made his second error of the game, this one a throwing blunder to open the floodgates as Tampa pushed across three runs.
Dolis was throwing to Reese Mcguire after Mcguire entered the game to pinch-hit for Jansen.
A wild pitch and a hit batter added to Dolis' woes.
Dolis was given the hook after throwing his 20th pitch, leaving with runners at the corner.
Jansen was back in the lineup for the first time since he injured his hamstring last month.