By Canadian Press

Glasnow strikes out 5 in return, Rays beat sinking Blue Jays

Sep 8, 2019 | 2:43 PM

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tyler Glasnow struck out five over two innings in his return from a four-month layoff caused by a strained right forearm, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat Toronto 8-3 Sunday to complete a four-game sweep that left the Blue Jays as the fifth major league team on pace to lose 100 games.

Glasnow struck out Bo Bichette, Teoscar Hernández and Rowdy Tellez in order on 12 pitches in the first, twice reaching 100 mph. He walked Vladimir Guerrero leading off the second and gave up a two-run homer to Randal Grichuk, a 451-foot drive to centre that put Toronto ahead 2-1.

A 26-year-old right-hander, Glasnow threw 25 of 41 pitches for strikes, allowing the one hit and two walks. He had not pitched in the major leagues since May 10 and was 6-1 in eight starts with an AL-leading 1.86 ERA when he went on the injured list. Glasnow made a pair of minor league injury rehabilitation assignments for Triple-A Durham.

Austin Meadows and Avisail García homered and the Rays, who began the day one game ahead of Oakland for the top AL wild card. Tampa Bay, which has won 10 of 11, outscored Toronto 24-10 in the series.

Despite being in contention for a post-season berth, the Rays drew just 14,071 to Tropicana Field for the finale of their next-to-last homestand.

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Toronto has lost seven straight, its longest skid since April 2017 and 16 of its last 19. At 55-89, the Blue Jays are on pace to lose 100 games for the first time since 1977-79, their first three seasons. Detroit, Baltimore, Miami and Kansas City also are on pace to lose 100 games. The most teams to finish with 100 losses was four in 2002.

Trevor Richards (5-12) allowed one hit in 2 2/3 innings scoreless innings.

Jacob Waguespack (4-4) gave up six runs in seven hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Daniel Robertson put the Rays ahead to stay with a two-run triple in the second, and Tampa Bay opened a 6-2 lead in the fifth when Garcia and Travis d’Arnaud hit RBI doubles and around Ji-Man Choi’s sacrifice fly. García added a two-run homer in the seventh against Sam Gaviglio, a 456-foot drive.

Meadows homered in the fifth, his 28th this season and seventh off Toronto.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: CF Kevin Kiermaier left in the fifth inning because of neck spasms. … LHP Blake Snell (elbow) threw 24 pitches Saturday in his first rehab start for Durham. He last pitched for the Rays on July 21. … INF Eric Sogard (sore foot) missed his second straight game.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: RHP T.J. Zeuch gets his first major league start Tuesday night against the Boston Red Sox in Toronto. The 24-year-old right-hander made his big league debut with he allowed two runs over four innings of relief in a 7-2 loss at Atlanta.

Rays: LHP Ryan Yarbrough (11-3) is to start Tuesday night at Texas in the opener of an eight-game trip.

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Dick Scanlon, The Associated Press