Blue Jays takeaways: Alek Manoah sends a message that these Jays-Rays days are changing

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This article was published 02/07/2021 (1600 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The view from Deep Left Field on the Blue Jays’ 11-1 win over the Rays on Friday:

Bedecked in his brand-spanking new Canada-themed Air Jordans, Alek Manoah took the Sahlen Field mound Friday night in Buffalo and served notice to a long-time nemesis of the Blue Jays that they were no longer to be trifled with.

The 23-year-old rookie, facing the Tampa Bay Rays for the first time in his career, took a no-hitter into the sixth inning, striking out a franchise-record seven straight hitters at one point. He wound up allowing three hits in seven shutout innings, and by the time he left the Jays had built him an eight-run lead.

The outing was the longest of Manoah’s career, and his 10 strikeouts were the second-most by a rookie in Jays history.

Manoah retired 16 of the first 17 batters he faced, the only blemish being a one-out walk to Ji-Man Choi in the first inning. He struck out Rays catcher Francisco Mejia in the third with a slider so filthy that the pitch actually hit Mejia as he swung and missed.

Ironically, it was Mejia who broke up the no-hit bid in the sixth inning, getting enough of a Manoah changeup to pop a little duck snort to shallow centre field. Randal Grichuk gave it everything he had, sprinting toward the infield and diving headlong, but the ball just ticked off his glove.

Manoah gave up a couple of ground-ball singles in the seventh, but was allowed to stay in and face Manuel Margot with two on and two out and got him on a grounder to short, thanks to a terrific play by Bo Bichette.

The fact that Manoah’s tour de force performance came against the Rays was certainly meaningful. The last time the Jays and Rays met up — the final series in Dunedin in late May — Tampa Bay won all four games. Every game was tied going into the eighth inning, but from that point on the Rays outscored the Jays 19-9.

Manoah made his major-league debut two days after the final game of that series.

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• Taking advantage: It feels as though every time the Jays and Rays get together, Tampa Bay pitches well, runs the bases perfectly and plays great defence, rarely giving the Jays any extra opportunities and never failing to knock the door down whenever the Jays open it even a crack.

Friday night, the Rays blinked first.

Randal Grichuk hit a comebacker to the mound with a runner on first in the second inning. Luis Patino fielded it easily but made a terrible throw in the general vicinity of second base as he tried to start a double play. The Jays jumped on their chance. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. doubled in a run. Reese McGuire singled another home on the next pitch, then Marcus Semien beat out a double-play ball to allow another run to cross. The Jays scored four in the inning and were off to the races,.

The Rayswaved the white flag in the eighth inning by bringing outfielder Brett Phillips in to pitch.

• Welcome to the bigs: The blowout gave Jays bring left-hander Nick Allgeyer the chacne to make his major-league debut in a stress-free ninth inning. Allgeyer had been up before, spending two days with the Jays in the middle of May, but he didn’t get into either game.

The 25-year-old pitched a perfect frame, getting two fly balls to centre and grounder to first on 14 pitches.

Mike Wilner is a Toronto-based baseball columnist for the Star and the host of the baseball podcast “Deep Left Field.” Follow him on Twitter: @wilnerness