ST PETERSBURG (620 WDAE) -- The Tampa Bay Rays chased Francisco Liriano after he could get just one out, then had to rally to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-8 Friday night at Tropicana Field.
Neither Liriano nor Rays starter Matt Andriese would be around long for the game. Andriese allowed a pair of runs in the first on a two-run double by Troy Tulowitzki, but Tampa Bay would tie the game on a two-run blast from Evan Longoria, his second of the year, and go ahead two-run double from Brad Miller, both off Liriano. Dominic Leone would enter and allow an RBI groundout by Peter Bourjos to make it 5-2.
A sacrifice fly by Derek Norris in the second off Leone made it 6-2 before Toronto began their rally.
Tulowitzki began the rally in the fourth with a solo homer, his first of the year to cut the lead to 6-3, and Toronto added two more in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Jose Bautista, who reached when Steven Souza couldn't catch the baseball cleanly. Jumbo Diaz would Justin Smoak drove in Bautista with a double off Jumbo Diaz.
Toronto ended up taking the lead as Austin Pruitt allowed the bases to get loaded before Xavier Cedeno walked both Kendrys Morales and Tulowitzki to force in runs and give the Blue Jays a 7-6 advantage.
However, Tampa Bay rallied in the bottom of the inning, with Toronto loading the bases for Steven Souza Jr., whose two-run double gave Tampa Bay the lead for good, and Logan Morrison's base hit later in the inning would prove to be the eventual winning run.
Josh Donaldson homered off Danny Farquhar in the top of the eighth to tighten the lead again, but Derek Norris countered in the bottom of the frame with a base hit to set the score.
Tampa Bay can clinch a winning homestand with a victory Saturday, as Chris Archer (1-0, 2.57 ERA) gets the start against Aaron Sanchez (15-2, 3.00 ERA in 2016). Frst pitch is scheduled for 6:10, with coverage on WDAE beginning at 5:00 with The Inside Pitch, presented by Sykes Lakeland.