By Canadian Press

Rays beat Blue Jays 5-3, win for 9th time in 10 games

Sep 7, 2019 | 7:47 PM

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Travis d’Arnaud and Daniel Robertson drove in runs with two outs in the eighth inning, helping the Tampa Bay Rays to a 5-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night.

In the eighth, Jordan Romano (0-2) walked pinch-hitter J-Man Choi and Kevin Kiermaier hit a double. D’Arnoud lofted a pinch-hit sacrifice fly that scored pinch-runner Michael Brosseau and broke a 3-3 tie. Robertson, who had tied the game with an RBI double in the seventh, hit a single off Ryan Tepera that drove in Kiermaier with an insurance run.

Nick Anderson (5-4) got the win and Oliver Drake struck out three straight for his second save in three tries.

The Rays won for the ninth time in 10 games as they battle Oakland and Cleveland for one of the two American League wild-card spots.

The Blue Jays lost their six straight despite a strong outing by Anthony Kay in his major league debut.

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Consecutive singles by Avisail Garcia, Tommy Pham and Austin Meadows produced Tampa Bay’s first run off Kay in the fourth inning, and the rookie walked in another run. But Kay struck out Kiermaier and Mike Zunino with the bases loaded, thwarting a possible big inning by the Rays.

The 24-year-old left-hander, acquired from the New York Mets in the Marcus Stroman trade of July 28, gave up four hits and three walks while striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings.

Rays starter Charlie Morton was dominant until the sixth, when he gave up four hits and a walk. Bases-loaded singles by Reese McGuire and Jonathan Davis drove in two runs, and Billy McKinney drove in a third with a 400-foot fly ball, giving Toronto a 3-2 lead before Morton finished his outing with his 10th strikeout.

Morton went six innings, reaching a career high of 176 1/3 innings in his 30th start. He gave up three runs on five hits and three walks.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: INF Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is still not running well enough to rejoin the team after straining his left quad Aug. 8. … Barring a setback, C Luke Maile (strained left oblique) will be activated next week.

Rays: LHP Blake Snell pitched two-thirds of an inning for Triple-A Durham in his first appearance since July 22, when he went on the injured list with loose bodies in his left elbow. The 2018 Cy Young Award winner threw 24 pitches, giving up a run on two hits and two walks while striking out two. … INF Brandon Lowe (left quadriceps strain) ran the arc behind the infield dirt and could face live pitching next week. … LF Tommy Pham (right arm flexor strain) was the DH after not playing Friday.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: RHP Jacob Waguespack (4-3) will make his 10th start of the season. He pitched six shutout innings in a 2-0 win here on Aug. 5.

Rays: RHP Tyler Glasnow (6-1), out since May 11 due a strained right forearm, will start Sunday’s game. He is expected to throw two to three innings.

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Dick Scanlon, The Associated Press