Hernandez, Jansen HR as Jays beat Rays to end 5-game skid
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Teoscar Hernandez and Danny Jansen homered in the eighth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 Saturday to end a five-game skid.
Hernandez, who missed three weeks with a sore left oblique, hit his second homer of the season. Jansen was activated Saturday after being sidelined for more than a month with a strained left oblique and hit his third homer in only his ninth at-bat this year.
Both homers came off Ryan Thompson (1-2), who also gave up singles to Santiago Espinal and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the decisive four-run inning.
Tim Mayza (2-0) got the win in relief after striking out two of his three batters in the seventh.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled in the first inning off Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough, extending his hitting streak to 11 games, and scored on Espinal’s sacrifice fly.
Yandy Diaz led off the Rays first with an opposite-field home run off left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu, his third of the season.
Manuel Margot and Randy Arozarena had two hits each for Tampa Bay. Margot stretched his career-high hitting streak to 11 games, during which he is hitting .486.
Ryu, pitching for the first time since April 16 due to an inflamed left forearm, gave up one run on four hits in 4 2/3 innings, striking out three.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: CF George Springer, who sprained his left ankle Friday night, did not play. Manager Charlie Montoyo said Springer will play Sunday if the ankle feels better.
Rays: RHP Pete Fairbanks, who has been on the 60-day injured list all season with a right lat strain, threw a baseball for the first time Saturday.
UP NEXT
RHP Alek Manoah (4-0, 1.75), who beat the Rays three times last season and struck out 36 of the 98 Rays he faced in four starts, will pitch Sunday’s series finale against LHP Jeffrey Springs (1-1, 2.12).
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