Alejandro Kirk was the engine for the Blue Jays on a night when everything kept moving at Tropicana.
Toronto rolled past the Rays 10-5, and Kirk finished with three RBIs as the Jays piled up 17 hits and spread the damage across the lineup. Kirk, George Springer and Ernie Clement each had three hits, while Brett Bateman and Josh Smith chipped in two apiece. Every starter got at least one hit.
The scoring came in steady bursts, two runs at a time, over five different innings.
Toronto struck first in the opening frame. With two outs, Kirk doubled on what was described as a hustle double, just beating the throw to second on a ball into the right-field corner. Springer followed with a single to bring him home, and Jesús Sánchez doubled in Springer to make it 2-0.
In the third, Nathan Lukes opened with a walk and Kirk launched a home run. That gave Kirk six total bases through two at-bats.
The fourth inning brought more of the same. Clement singled to start it, Bateman followed with a single of his own and then stole second for his first MLB steal. Kirk then singled home Clement, and a wild pitch allowed Bateman to score.
Toronto kept pressing in the fifth. Kazuma Okamoto hit his 25th home run of the season, setting a new Jays rookie record. Clement singled later in the inning, Josh Smite laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Bateman singled in Clement.
The Jays added two more in the seventh. Clement singled again, and Smith followed with a homer.
Kirk’s three-hit night pushed his average to .279, a notable number in a season that included a broken thumb. Springer and Clement also turned in three-hit games, while Bateman and Smith each had two hits.
On the mound, José Soriano was sharp for three innings before Toronto broke through for three runs in the fourth. He still finished with a line of 5.2 innings and three runs allowed, coming one out short of a quality start. Mason Fluharty recorded the final out of the sixth, Matt Waldron allowed two runs over two innings, and Spencer Miles worked a clean ninth.
Smith also made a strong defensive play at third, easing some concern about his glove there.
The Jays of the Day were Kirk, Springer and Soriano. No one received the Other Award.
Toronto and Tampa Bay meet again tomorrow at 6:40, with Max Scherzer set to face Drew Rasmussen.
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For the Blue Jays, it is another reminder of how thin the margin can be in a bullpen that is still being sorted out. Tiedemanns talent is obvious, but so is the need to protect him after his injury history, which meant he was never likely to be available for long right away. In the meantime, Toronto is left weighing which arms it can trust most in the short term, and whether the bullpen picture can stabilize before another similar decision comes up. [Read more 🡒]