The Tampa Bay Rays (52-36) defeated the Toronto Blue Jays (44-41) 7-1 on Friday night at Tropicana Field. The win gives the Rays an victory in the opening game of the final series before the All-Star Break, as well as wins in five straight games.
After Toronto got on the board in the third inning with a George Springer RBI single, Austin Meadows answered with a two-run single in the bottom of the third. The Rays added another in the fourth when Ji-Man Choi was hit by a pitch in the bases loaded, then really began to pull away in the later innings.
Ji-Man Choi drove in a pair in the sixth, and Taylor Walls drove in a pair in the seventh, to make it a 7-1 game that would prove to be the final score. Choi finished the game 1-for-3 with three RBIs.
Shane McClanahan allowed just one run on four hits in four innings of work while striking out five and walking two. Andrew Kittredge (6-1, 1.47) picked up the win out of the bullpen with two perfect innings.
The Rays now look to make it six in a row when they meet the Blue Jays in the middle game of a three game series on Saturday. First pitch from the Trop will be at 1:10 on Saturday afternoon - pregame coverage begins hosted by Neil Solondz at 12:30 PM on 95.3 WDAE & AM 620.
PHOTO COURTESY GETTY IMAGES