Tampa Bay Rays come from behind to down Toronto Blue Jays 7-6 - MLB Update
Tampa Bay Rays came from behind to nip the Toronto Blue Jays 7-6 in rubber competition of the three-game series at Tropicana Field in St, Petersburg, Florida on Thursday, August 4 to take the series 2-1.
Rays went under a two-run deficit right in the first inning and they struggled with the bat in the first four innings, but a spell breaker homer from Evan Longoria brings back their confidence. Longoria Launched a dazzling 407-feet long three-run homer to
left-field to elevate the Rays to 3-2 from 0-2 in the bottom of the fifth.
Their starter Wade Davis, who after allowing two runs in the first inning have comeback brilliantly, held the opposition scoreless until the top of the eighth inning, when the Blue Jays’ star slugger Jose Bautista launched a 405-feet long one-run homer.
It was his 33rd homer of the season, 21 short of his career-best 54 homers that he jolted last year.
The game tied at three-all and the pitchers forced the game to extra innings. In the tenth inning, the Blue Jays were on the edge as Carlos Rasmus doubled to deep left-centre, allowing Yunel Escobar to score the fourth run. However, the Rays’ Desmond Jennings
again tied the game to four-all with his stunning homer to left.
In the eleventh, the Blue Jays’ Jose Molina tripled to deep-centre, allowing Edwin Encarnacion and Travis Snider to score and the game moved to 6-4. The Rays again tied the game, when Matt Joyce and Robinson Chirinos each added an RBI single in the bottom
of the eleventh inning.
Rays’ closer Brandon Gomes tossed a perfect top of the twelfth inning to provide his club get their winning short.
"It's not like we have to wait for them to be good. I feel very confident in them," manager Joe Maddon added. "Obviously, they lack experience. Obviously, they need to be tested in even hotter moments than today."
Gomes worked one scoreless innings to get his first win of the season.
Rays struggled in the bottom of the twelfth against Shawn Camp, who got Ben Zobrist on a fly out. However, then he gave away a triple to B.J. Upton and two intentional walks each to Casey Kotchman and Matt Joyce. He then struck-out Elliot Johnson but gave
some wobbly pitches to Robinson Chirinos, who singled to left allowing B.J. Upton to gather a game leading run.
"It was a tough game. We jumped out quick, got a couple of runs but didn't have many opportunities for six straight (innings)," Blue Jays' manager John Farrell said. "Jose hit the home run to get the game back tied and ... pump some life back into us."
It was the Rays’ second straight triumph over the Blue Jays and this win provided them with the series 2-1.
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