Alex Cobb pitched 6 2/3 innings to win for the first time in nearly two years, Kevin Kiermaier and Corey Dickerson hit two-run homers and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Blue Jays 8-1 Wednesday, Toronto’s ninth loss in 12 September games.
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Cobb (1-0), who struck out four and walked three, last won in the majors on September 23, 2014, against the Boston Red Sox.
“I feel like it’s kind of hard to do that back-to-back”, Donaldson said, per Steven Loung of Sportsnet. A fielder finally had a chance to get involved in the game on the last batter of the second inning as Michael Saunders made the final out of the second on a fly ball to left field. They were the playoff-bound team and the Blue Jays were not.
“We have a lot of players in this locker-room that are very good and we believe in each other and we believe we’re going to right the ship”, Donaldson said.
“It never really got to where I felt comfortable with it, so we went and had it looked at today and we’ll get the results, hopefully, tonight”, Donaldson said. “So I’m optimistic that this will turn and turn in a hurry”.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons says that Donaldson jammed his hip in Sunday’s 11-8 loss to the Boston Red Sox.
Cobb (1-0) allowed one run and two hits to win for the first time since September 23, 2014, against Boston.
“But it seems worse because we’re all struggling right now”, he said. “We need to start winning games here”. We’ve got to find a way to do it. “Nothing’s been working out lately”. “We’ve got to start pitching better, Obviously, I’ve got to start pitching better”.
The Rays have won three straight and six of seven on days when they are travelling.
Estrada (8-9) dominated the first three innings Wednesday, retiring the first nine Rays he faced and setting a franchise record by opening the game with five straight strikeouts.
Estrada was in control early on – striking out Logan Forsythe with a fastball to open the game before likewise fooling Kevin Kiermaier, who was way out in front of a changeup. “Maybe it caught too much of the plate, but it was down”. Estrada left after Nick Franklin’s one-out single in the sixth.
The Rays seized a 6-1 lead in the sixth.
By the time Tampa added two more runs in the top of the ninth, those in the stands who hadn’t yet piled out didn’t even bother booing. A single later scored another.
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.
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Toronto had a Devon Travis double to lead off the game, but didn’t manage another hit off Cobb until Dioner Navarro’s single in the seventh. Ryan Garton replaced Cobb to face pinch-hitter Justin Smoak, who popped out to shortstop. The Toronto right-hander struck out four in losing his third consecutive start.
