Fundamental Errors Kill Blue Jays in Series Finale vs. Rays

Toronto came close to its first series sweep of the Rays since 2015, but defensive errors and baserunning blunder led to a 5-1 loss.

Blue Jays starter Robbie Ray put out fires all afternoon. 

After a walk and a double to start the second inning, Ray struck out three Tampa Bay Rays hitters in a row. In the fourth, he stranded a Wander Franco double. The lefty even picked up his teammate Bo Bichette, working out of a fifth inning-jam after his shortstop committed one of his two errors in the game. 

The sixth inning, however, proved too much to handle. 

Franco homered off Ray to tie the game 1-1 and Yandy Díaz doubled before Austin Meadows hit a flyball that soared towards the outfield. Right fielder Teoscar Hernández took a step in before realizing he had misread it, as the ball sailed over his outstretched glove. Ray could only hang his head in disappointment as a run scored on the play, giving Tampa Bay the lead. 

"When you want to beat good teams, you got to play clean and we didn't do that today. The two games prior to this one, we played really good and we beat them. Today, it wasn't a clean game," Blue Jays manager Charlie Montoyo said.

Bichette led off the sixth inning with a sharp single, but was promptly picked off first base — killing any chance of a Blue Jays rally. Toronto's bullpen allowed three runs in the ninth inning, as the Blue Jays dropped Sunday's series finale at Sahlen Field by a score of 5-1.  

Two very tightly-played games set Toronto up for what could've been its first series sweep over the Rays since Sept. 27, 2015, but Hernández's outfield lapse spoiled an otherwise excellent outing from Ray. The hard-throwing lefty was excellent through seven innings, allowing just five hits and two earned runs, while striking out six Rays hitters, but still took the loss.

Toronto didn't get the sweep, but Ray said it's huge that his team was able to take two of three from Tampa Bay. 

"We talk about it in our pitchers meeting, and I'm sure the hitters talk about it as well, it's win the series," Ray said. "If you can win every series, you're going to be in a good position."

The Blue Jays now get a day off to reset themselves before heading to Baltimore for a three-game series against the Orioles starting Tuesday. Toronto would be wise to let this loss against the Rays go, as the club finds itself in the thick of the AL wild-card race.