The Tampa Bay Rays rallied for a much-needed 5-1 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays Sunday afternoon at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York.
They ended the frustration of a five-game losing streak and a 10-game road skid, winning away from Tropicana Field for the first time since June 14.
It didn’t require any big-time fireworks. The Rays just needed a spark — any spark. In the sixth inning, it finally happened.
Trailing 1-0 against left-hander Robbie Ray, the Rays tied the game on Wander Franco’s one-out solo home run to right field. Yandy Diaz followed with a double, then Austin Meadows knocked him in with a double of his own. (It was scored a hit, even though rightfielder Teoscar Hernandez misjudged the angle and let the ball sail over his head). Meadows was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple, but the Rays could exhale.
It was the first time the Rays had led while finishing an inning since June 27 (a stretch of 44 consecutive innings).
Left-hander Ryan Yarbrough (5-3) got the victory after allowing one run, a second-inning solo homer by Randal Grichuk, in five innings.
But the bigger story was reliever Collin McHugh, who took over after the Rays surged ahead 2-1. McHugh, who has allowed just one earned run in his last 28.1 innings since returning from the injured list, pitched three scoreless innings and kept the Blue Jays in check. McHugh collected six strikeouts and struck out the side in the eighth.
Right-hander Diego Castillo closed it out by pitching a scoreless ninth.
Meadows and Taylor Walls provided ninth-inning insurance with RBI doubles, while Francisco Mejia drove in the final run with a sacrifice fly.
It was Meadows’ third double, one off the franchise’s single-game record. Meadows knocked in Diaz, who led off the ninth with an infield single, then scampered all the way to third on a throwing error by Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, whose errant toss deflected off Diaz and went into right field.
The Rays came into Sunday batting .171 (6-for-35) with runners in scoring position during the five-game losing streak and .150 (12-for-80) with RISP during the 10-game road skid.
Frustration mounted in the Rays’ second inning when Diaz walked, then Meadows legged out a double, putting runners on second and third with no outs. With the Blue Jays’ playing their infield back and conceding a run, the Rays promptly struck out Mike Zunino, Mejia and Walls in succession to end the Rays’ threat.
Ray (6-4) allowed only two baserunners over the next three innings, but the Rays finally broke through in the sixth.
The Rays begin a six-game homestand Monday night against the Cleveland Indians. After three games against the Indians, the Rays host the Blue Jays in a three-game series beginning Friday before next week’s All-Star break.
