Pagan took the loss for the Rays./JEFFREY S. KING
Saturday, 4 a.m.
If there was ever a defeat to suggest this team is going nowhere fast (except lower in the standings), this was the one.
The Tampa Bay Rays suffered a punch to the gut Saturday afternoon, blowing a seven-run lead and falling in 12 innings to the Toronto Blue Jays, 10-9.
The Rays, who had lost seven of 10 games coming into this one, looked as if they were on their way to an easy victory. Both Willy Adames and Travis d'Arnaud launched three-run homers, and the Rays collected 12 hits in the first three innings. But Tampa Bay managed only one more Hit over the next nine innings, and lost when Teoscar Hernandez lead off the bottom of the 12th with a home run.
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Poche blew the save for Tampa Bay./ CHUCK MULLER
Much of the Jays' comeback was fueled on the long ball. The Jays' last seven runs came on homers, beginning in the bottom of the eighth inning. The big blow was a three-run shot by Vladimir Guererro Jr..
The Rays once again couldn't find a way to get their opponents out late. With their bullpen, no lead is ever safe. Six of their relievers allowed seven runs, including all of the home runs. Colin Poche took the blown save, and Emilio Pagan took the loss.
Four Rays had two hits each in the loss, including Adames, d'Arnaud, Austin Meadows and Guillermo Heredia.
Tampa Bay closes out its series against Toronto today at the Rodgers Center. Yonny Chirinos is scheduled to pitch against Aaron Sanchez at 1:07 p.m.
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