Blue Jays rout Rays 20-1 as Guerrero Jr has 6 RBI, position players give up 10 runs

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays dugout got a laugh when slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a position player. Given a second chance against Luke Raley, Guerrero hit his fourth career Grand Slam.

Guerrero had six RBIs and the Blue Jays ended a five-game losing streak with a 20-1 rout of the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night, marking their last 10 starting positions.

Guerrero gave Toronto the lead with an RBI single against Taj Bradley (3-1) in the first, got a single in the fifth that opened a 10-0 lead and hit a 423-foot Grand Slam in a ninth of nine points. against Raley.

“We were all laughing,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said of Guerrero’s strikeout on a 50 mph pitch. “It’s hard to do against a guy who throws 40, whatever. You take it for what it’s worth. The fact that he was laughing, I loved that.

“But, you don’t get Vladdy twice on a positional player,” Schneider added. “He’s going to get you.”

Guerrero is hitting .300 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs. His six RBIs were one shy of his career high.

All 12 Toronto batters in the game had hits, and the Blue Jays finished with 27 hits — their most since hitting 29 against Boston in a 28-5 win on the 22nd. last July.

Tampa Bay entered with the second-fewest points allowed in the majors at 170 and gave up the most since a 20-8 loss at Boston on Aug. 11, 2021.

“In all honesty, it got a little ugly.” said Rays manager Kevin Cash.

George Springer had a career-high four hits, and Bo Bichette, Whit Merrifield, Danny Jansen and Guerrero had three apiece. Springer hit his seventh homer, a solo drive in the third.

“It’s good to see positives on our side,” Springer said. “It’s just a good day. I hope to do many more.

Raley, outfielder and first baseman, allowed seven runs and eight hits in 1 2/3 innings. He threw 27 pitches from 47 to 54 mph.

“It’s something I can honestly say I never thought I would do…at least have a strikeout on the books,” Raley said.

Receiver Christian Bethancourt came in with two outs in the ninth and gave up Daulton Varsho’s RBI single and Jansen’s two-run homer.

Raley’s ERA is 30.38 after his second appearance on the mound this season. Bethancourt’s ERA is 81.00.

“It’s not my favorite place,” Raley said. “I told them before, I was shaken up in high school, so I can’t imagine what those guys would actually do to me if I tried to pitch. So just try to throw it over the plate and save our paddock.

Cash said with a smile that Raley had to add a change.

Zack Burdi gave up six runs in the fifth, five of which were earned.

José Berríos (4-4) allowed one run, five hits and two walks, striking out five.

Isaac Paredes homered for the Rays, who are down 22-5 at home this season. Tampa Bay leads the majors with 95 homers.

Bradley allowed four runs and nine hits in four innings.

NUMBERS

Merrifield is 7 for 9 in the series and stole his 14th base. … The 27 hits were the most the Rays ever allowed. … This largest margin of defeat in Tampa Bay history.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu and reliever Chad Green, both returning from Tommy John surgery, came from the team’s spring training facility in nearby Dunedin and had some bullpen sessions.

“They looked good,” Schnieder said.

Ryu and Green are both expected to return this season,

RHP Adam Cimber (upper back) has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list.

Spokes: 2B Brandon Lowe (stiff neck) was out of the lineup.

FOLLOWING

Toronto LHP Yusei Kikuchi (5-1) and Rays LHP Shane McClanahan (7-0) are Wednesday night’s starters. McClanahan is looking to become the major’s first eight-game winner.

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