TORONTO (AP) — Jeffrey Springs pitched six shutout innings to win for the fifth time in six decisions, Randy Arozarena drove in two runs and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 in a doubleheader opener Tuesday to stop a three-game losing streak.
Yandy Díaz had three hits and scored twice as the Rays (79-61) leapfrogged Toronto (79-62) and moved a half-game ahead of the Blue Jays. Tampa Bay tied Seattle (79-61) for the first of the three AL wild cards.
Springs (8-4) allowed three hits, all singles. He struckl out five amd walked two.
Shawn Armstrong allowed two runs in 1 2/3 innings of relief and Pete Fairbanks got four outs for his seventh save in as many chances.
Toronto put runners at first and second with one out in the ninth but Fairbanks struck out Vladirmir Guerrero Jr. and retired Bo Bichette on a groundout that ended an 11-pitch at-bat.
All-Star right-hander Alek Manoah, schedule to start for Toronto, was scratched with a stomach illness. Instead, the Blue Jays opened with right-hander Julian Merryweather before turning to right-hander Mitch White, who was called up from Triple-A Buffalo Tuesday as the 29th man.
Tampa Bay opened the scoring against Merryweather when Arozarena beat out a double-play grounder as Díaz scored.
The Rays added three more against White in the third. Arozarena hit into a run-scoring forceout, David Peralta hit a sacrifice fly and, running on the pitch, Arozarena scored from first on Manuel Margot’s ground single to left field, taking advantage of some inattention and a high throw from left fielder Teoscar Hernández.
Making his first start this season, Merryweather (0-3) gave up one run and two hits in one inning. White allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings, matching his longest outing of 2022.
Toronto didn’t advance a runner to scoring position until the fifth, when Alejandro Kirk and Matt Chapman walked, but Danny Jansen stranded both with a popout.
Kirk and Chapman drove in runs against Armstrong as the Blue Jays halved the deficit in the eighth, but Fairbanks came on and retired Jansen to end the rally.
ROSTER MOVES
Rays: Tampa Bay returned RH Cooper Criswell to Triple-A Durham and recalled LHP Josh Fleming from the taxi squad. RHP Yonny Chirinos was added as the 29th man for the doubleheader and was expected to start Game 2.
STRUGGLING WITH SOUTHPAWS
The Blue Jays are 11-18 when their opponent starts a left-handed pitcher.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: 2B Brandon Lowe (back) was held out of the starting lineup for the second straight game.
UP NEXT
RHP Ross Stripling (7-4, 3.03) starts Wednesday night for Toronto and RHP Drew Rasmussen (10-4, 2.57) for the Rays.
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