Lourdes Gurriel Jr. had three hits, including a solo home run, and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 9-2 on Friday afternoon.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. added three RBIs for the Blue Jays on Canada Day. Toronto has won the first two games of a five-game series.
Toronto right-hander Jose Berrios (6-4) allowed two runs, eight hits and two walks with three strikeouts in five innings.
Tampa Bay right-hander Corey Kluber (3-5) allowed five runs, seven hits and two walks with one strikeout in three innings.
Harold Ramirez singled with one out in the second, took third on Josh Lowe’s double and scored on Rene Pinto’s groundout to third.
Toronto scored five in the third. Gurriel led off with a double. One out later, center fielder Kevin Kiermaier had Cavan Biggio’s deep fly go off his glove for a double and Gurriel stopped at third. George Springer walked before Bo Bichette and Guerrero Jr. each stroked two-run doubles. Alejandro Kirk doubled in another run.
The Rays loaded the bases with two out in the fourth, but Wander Franco lined out.
Kiermaier reach on a one-out infield single and scored on a double by Ramirez.
Tampa Bay’s Phoenix Sanders allowed only a walk in two innings before being replaced in the sixth by David McKay, who allowed four runs. Gurriel singled, Santiago Espinal and Biggio walked. Springer hit a two-run single and Guerrero had an RBI groundout.
Trent Thornton pitched a perfect top of the sixth and Sergio Romo, making his Blue Jays debut, pitched around a seventh-inning walk.
McKay allowed Gurriel’s fifth homer of the season with two out in the seventh.
Max Castillo pitched a perfect eighth for Toronto.
Brett Phillips moved from right field to pitch the bottom of the eighth and worked around a leadoff double. It was the third time he has pitched this season.
Castillo pitched around a third-strike wild pitch and a single in the ninth.
The Rays optioned outfielder Luke Raley and left-hander Ryan Yarbrough to Triple-A Durham on Friday. They reinstated Kiermaier (left hip inflammation) from the injured list and recalled right-hander McKay from the taxi squad.
–Field Level Media
