Aranda homers, 6 pitchers combine on a 5-hitter and Rays beat Blue Jays 1-0

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This article was published 20/09/2024 (471 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — 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 José Berríos (14-10) with one out in the sixth inning.

“A lot of adrenaline 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 Berríos’ 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 4 1/3 innings, Kevin Kelly (4-2) extended his scoreless streak to 22 innings after going 1 2/3. Manuel Rodríguez 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 defense 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 defense and it’s real fun to watch.”

Tampa Bay had a runner reach third in each of the first three innings against Berríos 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.

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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.

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Blue Jays RHP Yariel Rodríguez (1-6, 4.29 ERA) and Rays RHP Taj Bradley (6-11, 4.39 ERA) are Saturday’s scheduled starters.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB