ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — It began with a sterling first appearance by 21-year-old right-hander Luis Patino. It included a major-league debut by Louis Head, who though a decade older, was pitching solar panels as a door-to-door salesman in Arizona until the Rays called him to join their bullpen.
From start to finish ― with some good middle innings from lefty Josh Fleming ― the Rays were well-armed to match the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.
But their bats were silent and the Rays (11-11) fell to the Blue Jays 1-0 before 6,372 at Tropicana Field.
Six Blue Jays pitchers combined for a five-hit shutout. In fact, the Rays never had a runner advance past second base all day.
It was the second straight home series loss for the Rays who are now 4-6 at the Trop this season. It also marked the first time the Rays have been shut out this season.
Next up are the Oakland A’s, who had won 13 straight games entering Sunday.
Patino made his Rays debut and bullied Jays hitters with a fastball that topped out at 96 mph, a biting slider while mixing in a changeup.
With his parents, who arrived from Columbia, watching him in the majors for the first time Sunday, Patino walked Cavan Biggio before retiring the next eight batters he faced, three by strikeout.
He allowed two hard-hit balls to centerfield, including one to the wall that Kevin Kiermaier outran on the warning track. Other than that, Patino looked poised beyond his years, working quickly and throwing 30 of his 42 pitches for strikes.
Patino was making only the second start of his young career. He was a big part of the trade with San Diego for Blake Snell. The plan all along was to use Fleming for the bulk innings and he struck out Biggio to end the third.
The Rays couldn’t string together hits against Jays starter Hyun Jin Ryu, managing three singles and a walk. But following a single to left by Manuel Magot, Ryu signaled for help on the mound. He left the game with a minor left glute strain with two out in the fourth.
Tim Mayza replaced Ryu and got Joey Wendle to fly out to left to end the inning.
The Jays took a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning. Semien singled and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. reached on a bunt single.
Joe Panik grounded to first into a fielder’s choice. That’s when Fleming yielded a broken bat single by Santiago Espinal to score Semien.
The Rays were fortunate when Danny Jansen lined to Brosseau, knocking his glove off. Wendle alertly fielded the deflection and got the out at first. A walk to Biggio loaded the bases before Fleming fanned Bo Bichette, who was already 0-for-10 in the series, to end the inning.
The Rays got their first two batters on to start the fifth after singles by Francisco Mejia and Kiermaier, but they stranded them.
The Jays threatened in the ninth with runners on first and third with two out but Hunter Strickland got Jansen to pop up to Brousseau.
After a 5-1 road trip, the Rays hoped to continue the momentum at the Trop, where they had started 3-1 before dropping a four-game series to the Rangers.
The Rays trailed every game in the series against the Blue Jays. They battled back from a 3-0 deficit Saturday to win 5-3.
Maybe the Jays felt too much at home in the Trop. After all, while playing their games this spring in Dunedin, it was Toronto’s shortest road trip of the season.
