*Photo from Sporting News*
The Toronto Blue Jays are an interesting team to watch. Thomas Hatch kept the hitters in check, Randal Grichuk homered, and the Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-4. Shortly thereafter, Grichuk was forced to leave the game due to lower back tightness, but the damage had been done.
The Rays started the scoring in the second inning, when Yoshi Tsutsugo hit a solo homer to right field to make it 1-0 Rays. In the 3rd, Vladimir Guerrero Jr hit an RBI double to tie the game at one. In the 4th, Willy Adames hit a two run homer off the right field foul pole, making it 3-1 Rays. The Blue Jays cut that deficit in half in the 6th inning when Lourdes Gurriel Jr hit a solo homer. In the 7th, Grichuk launched a 3 run homer to left field, putting the Blue Jays ahead 5-3. The Rays got one back in the 8th on a throwing error to make it 5-4. The Blue Jays then got an insurance run on a Cavan Biggio RBI double in the 9th to make it 6-4.
Hatch got the win for the Blue Jays, working the 6th and 7th innings, allowing just two walks while striking out two hitters. Jordan Romano worked the 9th to get his second save of the season. Tanner Roark started for the Blue Jays, going 5 innings and allowing 3 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks, striking out two hitters. Rafael Dolis also pitched for the Blue Jays, allowing one run in the 8th inning.
Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said of Grichuk's effort after the game that ''He deserves all the credit for starting the game and trying to play, and then we had to take him out because it got really tight after that, he started the game with his back hurting a little bit but he said, `I want to play it's a big game.'"
Montoyo was also particularly happy about this game, saying that ''Honestly I feel like today was the biggest win of the year, I might be saying that for every game the rest of the year. But against that team, to go 2-2, that's why I felt like today was the biggest win of the year.''
Aaron Loup got the loss for the Rays, allowing Grichuk's homer in the 7th inning. Blake Snell started for the Rays, throwing 5 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on 4 hits and one walk, striking out 9 hitters. Snell said postgame that ''It's definitely a tough loss, it's a game we need to win.'' Ryan Thompson, Edgar Garcia, and Anthony Banda also pitched for Tampa Bay.
The Blue Jays head back home to Buffalo to face the Boston Red Sox, where Chase Anderson starts the first game for Toronto. The Rays welcome the Baltimore Orioles to town, where Tyler Glasnow starts for Tampa Bay.
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