Alek Manoah fans 7 in first victory of season as Blue Jays avoid sweep, beat Rays 5-2
TORONTO - Daniel Vogelbach homered and scored three runs, Alek Manoah won for the first time since last August and the Toronto Blue Jays avoided their first sweep of the season by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 5-2 on Sunday.
Alejandro Kirk reached base three times and drove in two runs as the Blue Jays snapped a three-game losing streak with their third shutout win.
George Springer hit an RBI double, walked twice and scored twice as Toronto stopped Tampa Bay’s winning streak at four. The Rays had won 11 of their previous 15.
Making his third start of the season, Manoah (1-1) struck out seven in seven innings. He walked one, hit two batters and allowed just one hit, Ben Rortvedt’s leadoff single in the third.
Trevor Richards pitched a 1-2-3 eighth. After Jonathan Aranda reached on a two-out infield single against Zach Pop in the ninth, Isaac Paredes followed with a two-run homer, his ninth.
Richie Palacios chased Pop with a single before Jordan Romano finished for his seventh save in eight chances.
TORONTO, ON - MAY 18: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 of the Toronto Blue Jays runs the bases on his double against the Tampa Bay Rays during the fourth inning in their MLB game at the Rogers Centre on May 18, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Ma
Manoah hadn’t won since beating Boston at Fenway Park last August 4. He made one more start last season before being demoted to Triple-A.
Jonny DeLuca, who stole second after being hit by a pitch in the fifth, was the only Rays runner to advance past first base against Manoah. The right-hander pumped his fist and yelled after striking out DeLuca swinging on a high fastball to end his outing.
Vogelbach finished 3 for 4. He homered off Rays right-hander Aaron Civale in the second, his first, doubled and scored in the fourth, and singled and scored in the sixth.
Later in the sixth, Kirk made it 5-0 with a two-out double off reliever Manuel Rodríguez.
Civale (2-4) allowed five runs, four earned, and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. His ERA rose from 5.83 to 5.92.
Civale is 0-3 in seven starts since an April 9 victory over the Angels.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Blue Jays: RHP Chad Green (teres major strain) struck out a batter in one scoreless inning in a rehab outing at Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday. Green allowed a leadoff double and retired the next three batters. … RHP Bowden Francis (forearm) got the win for Buffalo with 2 1/3 shutout innings in a rehab outing in Game 1 of Saturday’s doubleheader.
UP NEXT
Rays: RHP Taj Bradley (1-1, 2.45 ERA) starts Monday as Tampa Bay hosts Boston. RHP Tanner Houck (3-5, 2.17) goes for the Red Sox.
Blue Jays: RHP José Berríos (4-2, 2.82 ERA) starts Monday as Toronto begins a three-game series against the White Sox. RHP Erick Fedde (4-0, 2.60) starts for Chicago.
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