Nearly a month later, Ramirez connected again, this time helping give Smyly a win.
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Ryan Goins started at third base in place of Donaldson while outfielder Michael Saunders hit in the No. 2 spot in the lineup against Tampa Bay’s Alex Cobb. His previous homer, on August 15, was a solo shot off Smyly at Tampa Bay when Ramirez was still with the Padres. “I don’t know exactly what point it was or where it happened”. “He’s a good hitter, man”. “Here I am with an opportunity”.
“If we could harness that and play the rest of the league like that, we’d be a pretty good ball club”, Souza said.
Ramirez hit a three-run homer off Stroman in the fifth and Souza drilled a solo shot off Joe Biagini in the seventh.
“I didn’t really think it was an issue”, Martin said of the Stroman’s four free passes. Estrada hasn’t enjoyed much luck despite pitching well in nine appearances (five starts) versus the Rays, however, going 1-3 with a 2.18 ERA.WALK-OFFS1.
Dickerson produced two of the runs on his 20th homer.
“That’s a really tough lineup”, Smyly said. You could throw that pitch 9-out-of-10 times and maybe get more sink on it, get a ground ball and we’re out of the inning. Bautista walked to load the bases before Edwin Encarnacion struck out to end the threat.Rays reliever Kevin Jepsen pitched around a single in the eighth.The Rays scored twice in the ninth.Corey Dickerson opened the ninth with an infield single against Matt Dermody.
“I elevated a fastball and luckily he swung”, Farquhar said.
Things went quite well early, though – aside from the news that reigning American League MVP Josh Donaldson was headed for an MRI and would miss a third straight game. With one on and two away, Martin was clearly sitting on a curveball when Smyly tried to drop one in middle-inside.
Estrada ended up striking out seven batters in his 5.1 innings of work allowing four runs on four hits. He is 2-2 with a 4.45 ERA in five career starts against Toronto.
The crowd of 38,338 put Toronto over the three-million mark for the sixth time in franchise history and the first time since 1993. Martin took a big hack and it paid off, pulling the Blue Jays within one run in the sixth inning.
The Rays have won three straight and six of seven on days when they are travelling. Snell has faced every other AL East rival at least twice. Cedeno hasn’t pitched since August 29.
The AL East crown is up for grabs at the moment with the Blue Jays tied with the Baltimore Orioles for second in the division, just two games behind the Boston Red Sox for the lead. For now, the Blue Jays await the results of an MRI taken during Wednesday’s game. This will be Cobb’s third start in the majors since returning from Tommy John surgery.
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Following the fourth World Baseball Classic, the first pitch of the MLB season will go Sun., April 2, with the Rays hosting the Yankees and the San Francisco Giants travelling to Arizona to take on the Diamondbacks.
