ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays were saved by a replay reversal, plus a pair of reversals by star center fielder Kevin Kiermaier.
Alex Cobb and four relievers combined on a six-hitter and Kiermaier made two spectacular catches Thursday as the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0.
Both of Kiermaier's plays came in the fifth inning. The two-time Gold Glover made an all-out sprint to catch Steve Pearce's drive with two runners on base, tumbling onto the warning track in right-center.
Kiermaier then rushed in a long way to make diving grab on Justin Smoak's shallow fly with the bases loaded and two outs
The Rays also benefited when an apparent two-run double by Josh Donaldson was turned into a foul ball on replay. Donaldson eventually walked and was left on first base.
"That's why this can be a game of inches," Kiermaier said. "We needed every centimeter, every millimeter possible on the Donaldson foul ball, and they got the call right."
Toronto manager John Gibbons wasn't quite so sure after a 98-second review determined that the ball had barely missed the foul line.
"They must have better cameras up there ... I would expect, hopefully, because that looked like it caught something," Gibbons said. "But that's why they have replay."
The only debate about Kiermaier's catches was over which one was better.
"I heard he was a good outfielder, but I couldn't believe he caught that first ball," said reliever Steve Cishek, who has been with the Rays less than a month. "He found another gear."
Rays manager Kevin Cash was even more impressed by the second catch.
"The ball that he ran down in the gap, from my view I was pretty confident he was going to catch it," Cash said. "The ball that Smoak hit ... from where he was starting from, there are not many people that get to that ball and make a play on it."
Kiermaier chose the first one.
"The degree of difficulty was there for both of them, but I made the second one a lot more difficult than it should have been," he said. "I broke back on it ... and I knew once I messed up that I had to catch it."
A day after the same two teams combined for nine home runs in a 7-6 Toronto win, pitching and defense took over.
Cobb, making his first start in 19 days, was taken out of the game in the fifth inning after throwing 94 pitches despite giving up no runs. Cishek (2-0) got the win and Alex Colome pitched the ninth for his 38th save.
Tom Koehler (0-1) pitched five innings in his first start for Toronto, giving up one run on five hits while striking out seven. He was 1-5 with a 7.92 ERA when Miami traded him to the Blue Jays last weekend.
Daniel Robertson drove in the game's first run with a sacrifice fly in the second. It came after a single by Jesus Sucre and a couple of walks by Koehler.
Corey Dickerson hit his 24th home run in the eighth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez, who last pitched July 17, is throwing and reporting no blister issues with his middle finger, but manager Gibbons said Sanchez will have to build up his arm again before he returns.
Rays: 2B Brad Miller left the game in the fifth inning with a bruised right shoulder after being hit by Koehler's pitch in the second inning.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: LHP J.A. Happ (6-9) will pitch at home against the Minnesota Twins in the opener of a three-game series Friday night.
Rays: RHP Jake Odorizzi (6-7), who grew up in the St. Louis area, will make his third career start against the Cardinals on Friday night in the opener of a nine-game road trip.
Alex Cobb and four relievers combined on a six-hitter and Kiermaier made two spectacular catches Thursday as the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 2-0.
Both of Kiermaier's plays came in the fifth inning. The two-time Gold Glover made an all-out sprint to catch Steve Pearce's drive with two runners on base, tumbling onto the warning track in right-center.
Kiermaier then rushed in a long way to make diving grab on Justin Smoak's shallow fly with the bases loaded and two outs
The Rays also benefited when an apparent two-run double by Josh Donaldson was turned into a foul ball on replay. Donaldson eventually walked and was left on first base.
"That's why this can be a game of inches," Kiermaier said. "We needed every centimeter, every millimeter possible on the Donaldson foul ball, and they got the call right."
Toronto manager John Gibbons wasn't quite so sure after a 98-second review determined that the ball had barely missed the foul line.
"They must have better cameras up there ... I would expect, hopefully, because that looked like it caught something," Gibbons said. "But that's why they have replay."
The only debate about Kiermaier's catches was over which one was better.
"I heard he was a good outfielder, but I couldn't believe he caught that first ball," said reliever Steve Cishek, who has been with the Rays less than a month. "He found another gear."
Rays manager Kevin Cash was even more impressed by the second catch.
"The ball that he ran down in the gap, from my view I was pretty confident he was going to catch it," Cash said. "The ball that Smoak hit ... from where he was starting from, there are not many people that get to that ball and make a play on it."
Kiermaier chose the first one.
"The degree of difficulty was there for both of them, but I made the second one a lot more difficult than it should have been," he said. "I broke back on it ... and I knew once I messed up that I had to catch it."
A day after the same two teams combined for nine home runs in a 7-6 Toronto win, pitching and defense took over.
Cobb, making his first start in 19 days, was taken out of the game in the fifth inning after throwing 94 pitches despite giving up no runs. Cishek (2-0) got the win and Alex Colome pitched the ninth for his 38th save.
Tom Koehler (0-1) pitched five innings in his first start for Toronto, giving up one run on five hits while striking out seven. He was 1-5 with a 7.92 ERA when Miami traded him to the Blue Jays last weekend.
Daniel Robertson drove in the game's first run with a sacrifice fly in the second. It came after a single by Jesus Sucre and a couple of walks by Koehler.
Corey Dickerson hit his 24th home run in the eighth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez, who last pitched July 17, is throwing and reporting no blister issues with his middle finger, but manager Gibbons said Sanchez will have to build up his arm again before he returns.
Rays: 2B Brad Miller left the game in the fifth inning with a bruised right shoulder after being hit by Koehler's pitch in the second inning.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: LHP J.A. Happ (6-9) will pitch at home against the Minnesota Twins in the opener of a three-game series Friday night.
Rays: RHP Jake Odorizzi (6-7), who grew up in the St. Louis area, will make his third career start against the Cardinals on Friday night in the opener of a nine-game road trip.
| View: Play-By-Play | Pitch-By-Pitch | Inning: All | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| Toronto - Top of 1st | SCORE | |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Cobb pitching for Tampa Bay | TOR | TB |
| Pearce singled to center. | 0 | 0 |
| Donaldson fouled out to catcher. | 0 | 0 |
| Smoak struck out swinging. | 0 | 0 |
| Bautista struck out looking. | 0 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Tampa Bay - Bottom of 1st | SCORE | |
| Tom Koehler pitching for Toronto | TOR | TB |
| Kiermaier struck out swinging. | 0 | 0 |
| Duda struck out looking. | 0 | 0 |
| Longoria singled to right center. | 0 | 0 |
| Morrison flied out to right. | 0 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Toronto - Top of 2nd | SCORE | |
| Alex Cobb pitching for Tampa Bay | TOR | TB |
| Morales struck out looking. | 0 | 0 |
| Pillar struck out swinging. | 0 | 0 |
| Montero flied out to left. | 0 | 0 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Tampa Bay - Bottom of 2nd | SCORE | |
| Tom Koehler pitching for Toronto | TOR | TB |
| Souza Jr. walked. | 0 | 0 |
| Dickerson grounded into fielder's choice to first, Souza Jr. out at second. | 0 | 0 |
| Sucre singled to left, Dickerson to second. | 0 | 0 |
| Miller hit by pitch, Dickerson to third, Sucre to second. | 0 | 0 |
| Robertson hit sacrifice fly to left, Dickerson scored. | 0 | 1 |
| Kiermaier struck out swinging. | 0 | 1 |
| 1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Toronto - Top of 3rd | SCORE | |
| Alex Cobb pitching for Tampa Bay | TOR | TB |
| Goins flied out to right. | 0 | 1 |
| Barney singled to center. | 0 | 1 |
| Pearce singled to left, Barney to second. | 0 | 1 |
| Donaldson struck out looking. | 0 | 1 |
| Barney to third, Pearce to second on wild pitch by Cobb. | 0 | 1 |
| Smoak grounded out to second. | 0 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 2 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Tampa Bay - Bottom of 3rd | SCORE | |
| Tom Koehler pitching for Toronto | TOR | TB |
| Duda struck out looking. | 0 | 1 |
| Longoria walked. | 0 | 1 |
| Morrison fouled out to first. | 0 | 1 |
| Souza Jr. struck out looking. | 0 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Toronto - Top of 4th | SCORE | |
| Alex Cobb pitching for Tampa Bay | TOR | TB |
| Bautista lined out to shortstop. | 0 | 1 |
| Morales grounded out to pitcher. | 0 | 1 |
| Pillar grounded out to shortstop. | 0 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Tampa Bay - Bottom of 4th | SCORE | |
| Tom Koehler pitching for Toronto | TOR | TB |
| Dickerson popped out to second. | 0 | 1 |
| Sucre singled to left. | 0 | 1 |
| Miller flied out to left. | 0 | 1 |
| Robertson struck out swinging. | 0 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Toronto - Top of 5th | SCORE | |
| Alex Cobb pitching for Tampa Bay | TOR | TB |
| Hechavarria at shortstop. | 0 | 1 |
| Robertson at second base. | 0 | 1 |
| Montero walked. | 0 | 1 |
| Goins singled to right, Montero to second. | 0 | 1 |
| Barney bunted into fielder's choice to pitcher, Montero out at third, Goins to second. | 0 | 1 |
| Cishek relieved Cobb. | 0 | 1 |
| Pearce lined out to center. | 0 | 1 |
| Donaldson walked, Goins to third, Barney to second. | 0 | 1 |
| Smoak flied out to center. | 0 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Tampa Bay - Bottom of 5th | SCORE | |
| Tom Koehler pitching for Toronto | TOR | TB |
| Kiermaier flied out to center. | 0 | 1 |
| Duda struck out looking. | 0 | 1 |
| Longoria doubled to deep right. | 0 | 1 |
| Morrison walked. | 0 | 1 |
| Souza Jr. hit by pitch, Longoria to third, Morrison to second. | 0 | 1 |
| Dickerson lined out to left. | 0 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Toronto - Top of 6th | SCORE | |
| Brad Boxberger pitching for Tampa Bay | TOR | TB |
| Boxberger relieved Cishek. | 0 | 1 |
| Bautista grounded out to shortstop. | 0 | 1 |
| Morales grounded out to shortstop. | 0 | 1 |
| Pillar popped out to second. | 0 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Tampa Bay - Bottom of 6th | SCORE | |
| Dominic Leone pitching for Toronto | TOR | TB |
| Leone relieved Koehler. | 0 | 1 |
| Sucre struck out swinging. | 0 | 1 |
| Hechavarria struck out swinging. | 0 | 1 |
| Robertson struck out swinging. | 0 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Toronto - Top of 7th | SCORE | |
| Brad Boxberger pitching for Tampa Bay | TOR | TB |
| Montero lined out to center. | 0 | 1 |
| Goins lined out to left. | 0 | 1 |
| Carrera hit for Barney. | 0 | 1 |
| Carrera reached on infield single to first. | 0 | 1 |
| Romo relieved Boxberger. | 0 | 1 |
| Pearce flied out to left. | 0 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Tampa Bay - Bottom of 7th | SCORE | |
| Tim Mayza pitching for Toronto | TOR | TB |
| Refsnyder at second base. | 0 | 1 |
| Mayza relieved Leone. | 0 | 1 |
| Kiermaier struck out swinging. | 0 | 1 |
| Duda lined out to third. | 0 | 1 |
| Longoria struck out swinging. | 0 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Toronto - Top of 8th | SCORE | |
| Sergio Romo pitching for Tampa Bay | TOR | TB |
| Donaldson flied out to center. | 0 | 1 |
| Smoak grounded out to third. | 0 | 1 |
| Bautista flied out to left. | 0 | 1 |
| 0 Runs, 0 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Tampa Bay - Bottom of 8th | SCORE | |
| Tim Mayza pitching for Toronto | TOR | TB |
| Morrison struck out swinging. | 0 | 1 |
| Barnes relieved Mayza. | 0 | 1 |
| Souza Jr. struck out swinging. | 0 | 1 |
| Dickerson homered to center (422 feet). | 0 | 2 |
| Sucre flied out to center. | 0 | 2 |
| 1 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Toronto - Top of 9th | SCORE | |
| Alex Colome pitching for Tampa Bay | TOR | TB |
| Bourjos in left field. | 0 | 2 |
| Colomé relieved Romo. | 0 | 2 |
| Morales singled to left. | 0 | 2 |
| Pillar flied out to right. | 0 | 2 |
| Montero struck out looking. | 0 | 2 |
| Goins struck out swinging. | 0 | 2 |
| 0 Runs, 1 Hits, 0 Errors | ||
| Toronto Blue Jays | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hitters | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | #P | AVG | OBP | SLG |
| Pearce LF | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | .277 | .347 | .485 |
| Donaldson 3B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 23 | .261 | .387 | .532 |
| Smoak 1B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25 | .287 | .360 | .566 |
| Bautista RF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 23 | .209 | .318 | .382 |
| Morales DH | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | .245 | .305 | .435 |
| Pillar CF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | .251 | .300 | .403 |
| Montero C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 24 | .127 | .222 | .255 |
| Goins SS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | .217 | .271 | .333 |
| Barney 2B | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | .225 | .269 | .297 |
a-Carrera PH
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | .297 | .368 | .448 |
Refsnyder 2B
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .169 | .260 | .231 |
| Totals | 33 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 169 | |||
| a-reached on infield single to first for D Barney in the 7th | ||||||||||
| BATTING Blue Jays RISP: 0-5 (Smoak 0-2, Donaldson 0-1, Pearce 0-1, Barney 0-1) Team LOB: 8 | ||||||||||
Game Notes
| 2B MILLER (RIGHT SHOULDER CONTUSION) LEFT GAME TOP 5TH |
Game Information
| Stadium | Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL |
| Attendance | 10,133 (32.6% full) - % is based on regular season capacity |
| Game Time | 3:21 |
| Weather | indoors |
| Umpires | Home Plate - Jim Reynolds, First Base - Brian Knight, Second Base - Chad Fairchild, Third Base - Lance Barrett |
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