Rays use bullpen to beat Blue Jays for 90th win

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. — Ryan Yarbrough got his rookie-leading 16th win and the Tampa Bay Rays turned another bullpen game into their 90th victory, beating the Toronto Blue Jays, 9-4, on Sunday.

The Rays (90-72) went to the unconventional plan of using relievers to start games in addition to traditional starters in mid-May due to injuries.

The results were about equal, as Tampa Bay went 46-38 with regular starters and 44-34 when utilizing the bullpen.

Ryne Stanek was Tampa Bay’s “opener” for the 29th time and went two scoreless innings. Yarbrough (16-6) followed and gave up two runs and four hits over three innings to get his 14th relief win.

The Rays went 87-60 after losing 12 of their first 15 games.

Outgoing Blue Jays manager John Gibbons decided to have some fun in the finale and let 35-year-old catcher Russell Martin manage the game.

Martin “thought about it for a couple seconds” before deciding not to be a player-manager.

Toronto announced Wednesday that Gibbons will not be back as manager next season.

“He’s one of my favourites,” Martin said. “I’m going to miss him. He’s a special guy. He’s kind of like having a second dad.”

Over two stints totalling 11 seasons, Gibbons went 793-789 with the Blue Jays.

Toronto finished 73-89, a threegame drop from 2017.

Tampa Bay improved 10 games from last year.