ST. PETERSBURG -- It was not a sight Blue Jays fans wanted to see.

After throwing 64 pitches and allowing one run on six hits with two walks and one strikeout over three innings, right-hander Aaron Sanchez was replaced on the mound at Tropicana Field in Monday's series-opening matinee, after sustaining a right middle finger nail avulsion. Sanchez described it as the nail being “lifted” from its nail bed before coming back down with a small blood blister forming underneath it.

As big of a blow it was to see Sanchez leave early again, the relative lack of offense was also troublesome, as Toronto fell to Tampa Bay 8-3. In 25 of the team’s 33 losses, the Blue Jays have scored three or fewer runs, and they are 2-20 when allowing five or more.

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The 26-year-old Sanchez has been battling finger issues on his right hand -- with blister problems and broken fingernails affecting his pitching repertoire -- over his last few seasons. It was also the second time in the last three starts in which he had to be pulled for a finger-related issue.

“It’s been like this for a few years and I’m still having trouble, so I’ll just continue to find ways to go out there and pitch,” Sanchez said. “I don’t have answers and I’m looking for them as much as everybody else is, but it is what it is at this point.”

The avulsion, Sanchez said, happened in the first inning on a fastball to Willy Adames that was hit back to him. On the ensuing throw to first base, the ball was short-hopped, which is when Sanchez discovered what happened.

“You just try to maneuver through a lineup like that, go out there and compete, and try to make pitches, and I felt like I did that,” Sanchez said. “When you’re right, you’re a lot different out there than when you’re trying to wrangle with things.”

So what’s next for Sanchez? The 10-day injured list?

“I won’t be there,” he said.

Manager Charlie Montoyo said that the training staff is still evaluating the situation, and then a decision will be made with input from Sanchez.

“[The injured list] is an option, but we have to talk to him to see what we will do next,” Montoyo said.

Sanchez was replaced on the mound by Jacob Waguespack, who made his Major League debut for the Blue Jays in relief.

Waguespack got off to a rocky start, allowing a double to Travis d’Arnaud, but he rebounded with back-to-back strikeouts. A Tommy Pham double brought one more in and a Ji-Man Choi single brought in another. On the throw home, Choi attempted to take second, and catcher Luke Maile sent a throw into right-center field, giving Choi ample time to hustle round the bases for Tampa Bay’s third run of the fourth inning.

“You roll with the punches and hopefully next time those don’t get through the holes,” Waguespack said. “You just try to stay aggressive, and I got on a roll and settled in.”

The 25-year-old rookie right-hander was taken out of the game after feeling some right shoulder tightness, but he finished four innings in his first big league outing, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits with one walk and seven strikeouts, setting a new franchise record for strikeouts by a reliever in his debut.

“The fans are cheering a little louder and the lights are a little brighter, but at the end of the day, it’s still the same game,” said Waguespack, whose parents, girlfriend, grandparents and brother were all in attendance. “It was just special. I’ve had a pretty crazy journey here -- it’s not expected to make it this far and I’m just thankful for their support.”

It took a while for Toronto’s offence to find any sort of spark as Tampa Bay starter Yonny Chirinos pitched five no-hit innings. Finally in the sixth, Maile put the Jays in the hit column on a single off reliever Oliver Drake.

In the top of the seventh, Toronto finally scored two, when Jonathan Davis hit a towering home run to left field, the first of his career. Freddy Galvis added another homer in the top of the ninth with the game already out of hand, to cut the deficit to five.

While it was certainly a nice moment for the 27-year-old Davis, the performance by the rest of the squad underscored problems that have plagued it throughout the year -- the Blue Jays simply aren't hitting well enough. The team saw its overall batting average for the year drop to .218, last in the Majors.