Rays stop Blue Jays despite Bautista

April 24, 2011

A: Toronto Blue Jays

Attendance: 21,826

W: David Price (3-2) 3.19 ERA

L: Brandon Morrow (0-1) 5.06 ERA

Summary:

Last year, Brandon Morrow nearly threw a no-hitter against the Rays. What was more impressive was his 17 strikeouts against Tampa. Fortunately for the Rays today, he was a on a pitch count. He struck out 10 today before being removed after 5.1 innings. Also fortunately for the Rays, they had two guys in their lineup today that were not in the lineup last year. Sam Fuld reached base three times against the Toronto hurler and Johnny Damon hit a two run homer in the first. After Morrow exited in the sixth, Ben Zobrist hit a towering three run home run to right field to give the Rays a 5-2 lead.

The Rays just can’t get Jose Bautista out. His two solo homers tied the game briefly at two. He walked in the seventh and singled in the ninth. He has now reached base 10 straight times.

David Price cruised through much of this game with the help of his defense. Fuld made another diving play to end the seventh and the infield turned a nifty double play to end the eighth. He came out in the ninth with a 6-2 to get the complete game, but got in trouble when Bautista singled and Adam Lind doubled him home. Jose Molina followed with a single, which knocked Price out of the game. Kyle Farnsworth added to the mess by allowing a single to Juan Rivera. The Rays finally got an out when Travis Snider sacrificed the runners along. Farnsworth hurt himself on the play, but was able to continue. Who knows? Maybe the injury helped him as he retired the last two hitters to nail down the save.

Player of the Game: Ben Zobrist. He hit a huge three run homer and was the middle man on a huge double play in the eighth. Had the Rays not turned that double play, Bautista would have come up with runners on.