Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Jonathan Aranda attempts to catch the ball as Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Ernie Clement slides in the eighth inning at Tropicana Field. The Rays won 1-0 on Sept. 20, 2024.Jonathan Dyer/Reuters
Jonathan Aranda homered, six Tampa Bay pitchers combined on a five-hitter, and the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 1-0 on Friday night.
Aranda went deep against Jose Berrios (14-10) with one out in the sixth inning.
“A lot of adrenalin going around the bases,” Aranda said through a translator. “It felt good at the moment because I knew what it meant, hitting it out, 0-0 game, giving us the lead. And I know these games right now might not mean a lot for other people, but for me, they still mean a lot. And we won the game with that at-bat.”
The loss ended Berrios’ seven start winning streak, during which he had a 1.51 ERA. The right-hander allowed one run, six hits, one walk and had six strikeouts in six innings.
“Just that one pitch,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “I thought Josey was awesome. I loved the way he attacked.”
After Rays starter Tyler Alexander gave up two hits over 4⅓ innings, Kevin Kelly (4-2) extended his scoreless streak to 22 innings after going 1⅔. Manuel Rodriguez worked out of a second-and-third jam in the seventh. Edwin Uceta and Colin Poche combined to get through the eighth before Hunter Bigge worked the ninth to get his first career save.
“There’s a lot of good fortune in there,” Kelly said. “I’m fortunate to have a good defence who’s well positioned, I’ve been making the pitches when needed to.”
The Rays limited Boston to one hit in a 2-0 victory on Thursday night. Tampa Bay pitchers have a season-high 19-inning shutout run.
“I’m very impressed by what everyone has been able to do,” Bigge said. “I think we have a really talented group of pitchers here and we have a good approach. We trust our in defence and it’s real fun to watch.”
Tampa Bay had a runner reach third in each of the first three innings against Berrios but went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position.
Toronto’s Alejandro Kirk extended his career-best hitting streak to 13 games with a sixth-inning single.
Ernie Clement, filling in for injured Toronto shortstop Bo Bichette, made a couple of strong defensive plays. He made a lunging play on Jonny DeLuca’s two-out grounder during the third and started a nifty inning-ending double play in the fifth.
Clement walked leading off the eighth and stole second, but was tagged out trying to advance on Kirk’s grounder to third.
Trainer’s room
Blue Jays: Bichette (broken right middle finger) will see a hand specialist on Tuesday. RHP Kevin Gausman, who left his start after throwing five no-hit innings Thursday against Texas with back tightness, is feeling better and could make his next scheduled start. INF Will Wagner had his left knee scoped on Friday. OF Daulton Varsho will have right rotator cuff surgery on Monday and there is a chance he won’t be ready for spring training next year.
Up next
Blue Jays RHP Yariel Rodriguez (1-6, 4.29 ERA) and Rays RHP Taj Bradley (6-11, 4.39 ERA) are Saturday’s scheduled starters.