Taylor Walls hit a single up the first-base line to score Cedric Mullins as the Tampa Bay Rays salvaged a 7-6 10-inning win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.
Jonathan Aranda added another run in the 10th when his sacrifice fly to deep centre field cashed in Walls.
Jonny DeLuca had an RBI single in the first and Mullins hit a two-run single in the third as Tampa Bay (28-13) jumped out to an early lead for the second game in a row.
Walls scored in the sixth on a wild pitch that was deflected into the knee of home plate umpire Chris Segal. Ryan Vilade made it 5-0 for the Rays in the seventh with his second home run of the season.
Yohendrick Pinango had a two-run double as part of a five-run seventh inning as Toronto (18-24) mounted a late comeback. Jesus Sanchez had an RBI double for the first run in the inning and then George Springer scored him with a single.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., tied the game 5-5 for the Blue Jays when he reached first base on an error, giving Pinango enough time to cross home. Guerrero’s sac fly in the bottom of the 10th scored Springer for the game’s final run.
Shane McClanahan earned a no-decision despite striking out seven over five innings, allowing just one hit and one walk. Casey Legumina, Cole Sulser, Kevin Kelly, Ian Seymour (2-1) and Garrett Cleavinger came out of the bullpen.
Patrick Corbin limited the Rays to three runs despite giving up nine hits and a walk over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out one. Tommy Nance, Jeff Hoffman, Tyler Rogers, Louis Varland and Braydon Fisher (2-1) came on in relief.
Rays: McClanahan had a no-hitter through 4 1/3 innings before Ernie Clement poked a single to left field for Toronto’s first hit of the game. Although the Tampa Bay starter had an excellent outing, he was lifted after 80 pitches as he continues to recover from Tommy John surgery.
Blue Jays: It looked like it was going to be another offensively challenged outing for Toronto before Clement got his second hit of the game with one out in the seventh. That ignited a rally that erased the Rays’ early lead and swung the odds back toward the Jays.
Mullins started the 10th inning on second as the Rays’ ghost runner. Walls connected on Fisher’s 93.3 m.p.h. cutter — the first pitch he saw in the inning — to drive Mullins home.
It was the first loss of 25-year-old Fisher’s career. He made his debut last season and has a 9-1 record over 72 2/3 innings.
Dylan Cease (3-1) takes the ball on Wednesday as Toronto hopes to avoid the three-game sweep.
Griffin Jax (1-2) will take the mound for Tampa Bay.