(St. Petersburg) Jose Siri, Randy Arozaena and Luke Raley homered and the Major League-leading Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-4 on Monday night.
The Rays (35-14) lead the major leagues with 94 home runs.
“We have a team that can run, that can defend, that can hit,” Siri explained. Regardless of the pitcher in front, we are confident in our ability to hit. »
After Trevor Kelley pitched two runless innings, Josh Fleming (1-0) gave up two runs and five hits in six innings of work, helping the Rays improve to 22-4 at home. .
“It’s not a lack of effort,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. These guys want and they fight. If you look at the ninth round, you will see that there were no retirements. This is what gives you a lot of confidence for the future. »
Blue Jays’ Chris Bassitt (5-3) pitched 28 straight innings without a run before the Rays scored three times in the second inning. He allowed six runs, two earned, and seven hits in six-and-a-third innings.
“We take advantage of small mistakes made by other teams,” Siri explained.
Whit Merrifield and Daulton Varsho hit long balls for the Blue Jays (25-23), who have lost seven of their last eight games and are nine and a half games behind the Rays.
Bassitt’s streak is the second longest in club history, behind Roger Clemens’ 33 innings in 1998. Dave Steib had a 34-inning streak in 1988-89.
The Blue Jays had recalled Quebecer Otto Lopez from their AAA school club in Buffalo.
Lopez had already played a few games with the Jays, hitting six singles in nine at bats in addition to driving in three runs.
Lopez’s recall was necessitated after Santiago Espinal was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring inflammation.
