Wednesday, 4 a.m.
Is it time for baseball to adopt a mercy rule?
For all the rule changes that have streamlined the sport, a game like this happens sometimes. A game so homely, you just can't stand to watch anymore. A game so flawed, it turns into a day of batting practice. After a while, you just want it to stop, and you get the feeling the players feel the same way.
Toronto 20, Tampa Bay 1.
There at the end, you wondered if the Rays would ever get the Jays out.
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Toronto had 27 hits. The Jays scored six in the fifth inning and nine in the ninth. For the Rays, the highlight might have been when Kevin Cash pulled relief pitcher Luke Raley, normally an outfielder, in favor of relief pitcher Christian Bethancourt, normally a catcher. Together, the duo gave up 10 runs.
The 19-run margin was the Rays' largest in franchise history.
George Springer had four hits for the Jays. Bo Bichette, held down on Monday night, had three.
The Rays started young Taj Bradley, who was off. He gave up nine hits and four runs in the first four innings in losing his first major league game. The first three Jays Bradley faced singled.
"Taj threw a little better than what the stat line showed," Rays' manager Kevin Cash said. "He gave up three hits, but he came back to strike out three to end the inning. We’re going to have to have some patience with him."
The Jays scored seven runs against Raley, including a grand slam by Vlad Guerrero. The Jays hit four home runs on the night.
The Rays' only run came when Isaac Paredes homered.
The Rays play the Jays again at 6:40 p.m. today at Tropicana Field. Shane McClanahan will start for the Rays against Yusei Kikuchi.