ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Having won their previous six, the Rays were hoping to roll into the All-Star break with another big win Sunday.
Instead, they had to take solace in at least avoiding a big zero.
The Rays were held hitless into the seventh inning by Blue Jays starter Robbie Ray — and posted just three overall — in a 3-1 loss.
Yandy Diaz, who had been the only Tampa Bay baserunner with his first-inning walk, ended Ray’s bid for history, lining a one-out double to left in the seventh.
The ball was just short of going over the wall, but when a fan reached over the yellow pad atop the wall, interference was called and Diaz was awarded a double. The Rays asked for a crew chief replay review, but the call stood.
Ray, who grunts loudly after every pitch, was dominant in his seven innings, striking out 11, walking one, and allowing only two balls to the outfield before the hit — a first-inning flyout by Wander Franco and one in the third by Brandon Lowe.
After reliever Tim Mayza worked a quick eighth, the Rays rallied slightly against Jordan Romano in the ninth. Lowe homered with one out, his seventh in his past nine games and 21st of the season, and Diaz singled with two outs, but Austin Meadows popped out to end it.
The loss ended the Rays’ latest run and left them at 53-37 for the four-day break, resuming play Friday in Atlanta.
The Rays’ .589 winning percentage is their second best going into the break in their 24 seasons, trailing only the .614 mark (54-34) in 2010. They also have the third-best record in franchise history through 90 games, trailing the 2008 and 2010 American League East champion teams that were 55-35.
Catcher Mike Zunino and infielder Joey Wendle are headed to Denver for Tuesday’s All-Star Game, along with Rays manager Kevin Cash, the coaches, athletic trainers and other members of the staff.
Rich Hill started for the Rays, allowing the three runs in five innings.
The Jays got one in the third when No. 9 hitter Danny Jansen knocked a 1-2 Hill pitch over the leftfield wall.
They scored two more in the fourth, the rally starting with Teoscar Hernandez singling, Lourdes Gurriel walking and Hill throwing a wild pitch. Santiago Espinal’s single got one run home, and Cavan Biggio’s sac fly the other.
The Rays have been no-hit five times, but not since Aug. 15, 2012, when then-Mariners ace Felix Hernandez threw a perfect game against them in Seattle, the fourth time they were blanked in three years.
The Rays also were no-hit by Arizona’s Edwin Jackson on June 25, 2010 (at Tropicana Field) and on the road by the A’s Dallas Braden, with a perfect game on May 9, 2010; by the White Sox’s Mark Buehrle, with a perfect game July 23, 2009; and by the Red Sox’s Derek Lowe on April 27, 2002.
