ST. PETERSBURG, Fla (AP) – Toronto starter Hyun Jin Ryu was forced to leave early with a minor strain, and five relievers completed the shutout, lifting the Blue Jays over the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 Sunday.
After giving up a single to Manuel Margot, Ryu gave up three hits and struck out five in 3 2/3 innings but exited with a right glute injury.
Tim Mayza (1-0) followed Ryu and got the final out in the fourth. He gave up two singles in the fifth – the last hits for the Rays – and was replaced by Tyler Chatwood, who worked out of the jam.
Rafael Dolis got four outs to get his second save.
Marcus Semien singled off Josh Fleming (1-2) to begin the fifth for Toronto’s first hit, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. followed with a bunt single. Semien scored on Santiago Espinal’s single.
Fleming avoided further damage by striking Bo Bichette with loaded bases to end the inning.
Rays opener Luis Patiño walked Cavan Biggio leading off the first on a nine-pitch at-bat and then combined with Fleming to retire the next 12 batters.
Tampa Bay reliever Louis Head made his major league debut at 31 and worked a perfect eighth by retiring Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Randal Grichuk. The right-hander was added to the roster from the alternate site Friday on his birthday. Toronto catcher Danny Jansen hit a couple of balls hard but went 0 for four and is hitless in a career-long 31 at-bats.San Diego, made his Tampa Bay debut and pitched for the first time as a big leaguer in front of his parents – Carlos Patiño and Zulema Arzuza- who flew in from Colombia. He struck out three and walked one in 2 ⅔ hitless innings.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: Make a 35-minute trip north to start a five-game homestand at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida, on Tuesday night against Washington and RHP Max Scherzer (1-1). The second homestand at Toronto’s spring training complex, where the Blue Jays are playing through at least May.
Rays: LHP Rich Hill (1-0) will face Oakland on Monday night. The Athletics had a 13-game winning streak end Sunday at Baltimore. Hill, who has given up eight runs and 11 hits over six ⅓ innings in his previous two outings, has been working on concealing his pitch selection from base runners on second. “I’ve been making adjustments with my glove,” Hill said. “They can see the grip on the pitch. It doesn’t serve a great purpose for me if they have some idea what’s coming.”
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