Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement made a crucial tag out in the eighth inning, but it wasn't enough to salvage a game that had slipped away from them. The Jays ultimately fell 4-2 to the Tampa Bay Rays.
The game was a tale of two halves, with the Rays coming from behind to take the lead in the later innings. After a strong first inning, the Jays' pitching faltered, allowing the Rays to score the go-ahead runs. Jeff Hoffman started the sixth, but it was a two-base error that changed the momentum of the game, loading the bases and setting up a sac fly and a single that scored two.
Spencer Miles came in and pitched three more scoreless innings, but the damage had already been done. He was one of the few bright spots on a day when the Jays' offense struggled to find its footing. Alejandro Kirk was the lone bright spot at the plate, going two for four with a home run and a hard hit fly out to the track.
The Jays' pitching woes were on full display, with eight strikeouts and just four hits to show for it. Brantley's Fisher started the game, but it was a pair of walks in the second inning that set up a caught stealing by Kirk. The rest of the pitching staff was a mix of effective and ineffective, with some bright spots but ultimately not enough to overcome the team's struggles at the plate.
The game marked the latest in a string of tough losses for the Jays, who are struggling to find their footing in the midst of a tough series. Tomorrow is a day game, with Shane Bieber taking on Ian Seymour in a matchup that is shaping up to be a real test for the Jays' offense.
The Jays will look to bounce back from this loss and get back on track, but it won't be easy. They'll need to find a way to get their offense going and their pitching to step up if they want to come out on top. The question is, can they do it?
Source: Yahoo Sports