Jonathan Aranda’s sacrifice fly in the 10th inning proved decisive as the visiting Tampa Bay Rays edged the Toronto Blue Jays 7-6 on Tuesday night.
Taylor Walls sparked the extra-inning rally with a single to right off Braydon Fisher (2-1), scoring automatic runner Cedric Mullins to give Tampa Bay a 6-5 edge. After Yandy Diaz walked, Walls moved to third on a wild pitch and crossed the plate on Aranda’s sacrifice fly, which was caught brilliantly by Daulton Varsho at the center-field wall. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. answered with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th against Garrett Cleavinger, who then induced a groundout to earn his first save.
Ian Seymour (2-0) tossed a perfect ninth inning for the Rays, improving their season record against Toronto to 5-0 after taking the first two games of this three-game series. Ryan Vilade homered for Tampa Bay, which has now won three straight and 10 of its last 11 contests.
The Blue Jays erased a 5-0 deficit with a five-run seventh inning. Toronto’s rally began with Ernie Clement’s one-out single off Casey Legumina, followed by a two-out double from pinch hitter Jesus Sanchez. Cole Sulser replaced Legumina and loaded the bases with a walk and a wild pitch. George Springer delivered an infield single to bring in a run, and Yohendrick Pinango followed with a two-run double. The tying run scored when Guerrero’s chopper bounced off Caminero’s glove for his second error of the night.
Earlier, Tampa Bay took a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Patrick Corbin. Aranda and Junior Caminero singled, and Jonny DeLuca blooped an RBI double down the right-field line. The Rays added two more in the third as Caminero singled, Ben Williamson doubled off the top of the left-field wall, and Mullins looped a two-run single to right-center with two outs. Corbin allowed three runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out one in 4 1/3 innings.
Toronto threatened in the fifth against Shane McClanahan, who benefited from Caminero’s error but escaped unscathed with a groundout and two strikeouts. McClanahan finished with no runs, one hit, no walks, and seven strikeouts over five innings. Tampa Bay stretched its lead to 4-0 in the sixth against Tommy Nance, as Walls walked, stole second, took third on a groundout, and scored on a wild pitch that struck home plate umpire Chris Segal. Vilade then led off the seventh with a homer to left off Jeff Hoffman.
The Rays held on despite allowing five runs in the seventh, eventually securing the victory in extra innings.
