Archer dominates Jays to keep Rays rolling
ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays completed a three-game weekend sweep of the Blue Jays with a 5-1 win Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field.
Chris Archer led the way with another stellar start for the Rays, holding the Blue Jays scoreless on two hits for seven innings to earn his third win of the season. Mark Buehrle took the loss for the Blue Jays, moving him to 3-1 for the season.
"Great win, way to finish off a three-game set with Toronto," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Can't say enough about what Archer did. I'm not sure how many people knew, but he was sick as a dog, throwing up in between innings. Gutsy performance, picked us up. Basically gave the bullpen a night off and he's been doing it all year."
Meanwhile, Brandon Guyer gave the Rays' offense a jolt with a home run to lead off the game, a sacrifice fly in the fourth and a two-run single in the sixth, giving him four RBIs on the day while staking the Rays to a 5-0 lead.
Video: TOR@TB: Guyer singles in a pair to extend the lead
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Video: TOR@TB: Forsythe doubles to plate Longoria in the 1st
Outfield 'D' goes MIA.: With one run already in, a miscommunication by the Blue Jays in right field let another runner score during the first inning. Logan Forsythe hit a blooper that second baseman Devon Travis tried to make a play on instead of giving way to Michael Saunders. The ball bounced off Travis' glove for a double, which allowed Evan Longoria to score all the way from first. In the second inning, there were more issues as Dalton Pompey dropped a routine fly ball to left for a two-base error.
Video: TOR@TB: Longoria on hit streak, win over Blue Jays
Longoria continues hot streak: Longoria singled in his first three at-bats on Sunday, giving him hits in seven consecutive at-bats. He finished his day by walking in his final trip to the plate. He has reached base in eight consecutive at-bats. More >
Archer's run: Archer held the Blue Jays scoreless for seven innings. He has not allowed an earned run in 26 2/3 innings, a streak dating back to the sixth inning of his Opening Day start against the Orioles. More >
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Guyer's leadoff home run against Buehrle was the Rays' first since Desmond Jennings did it on June 28, 2014, at Baltimore.
Video: TOR@TB: Guyer leads off 1st inning with a homer
Buehrle was looking to win his first four starts in back-to-back seasons, but came up short in that quest. The last pitcher to win his first four starts in back-to-back years was Chicago's Jack McDowell in 1992-93.
QUOTEABLE
"We've got a nice drainage system." -- Cash, on Archer getting sick in between innings, throwing up in the dugout.
"We went 0-3, so that speaks for itself. It starts on the mound. We'll move on. This has always been a tough place for us, but we'll move on. We generally swing the bats in Boston, and that's what we need to do." -- Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, on getting swept by the Rays.
UNDER REVIEW
The Blue Jays challenged an out call at first base in the ninth inning that saw Matt Andriese win a foot race to first base with Josh Donaldson. Thirty-four seconds later, the call on the field was confirmed.
WHAT'S NEXT
Blue Jays: The Blue Jays will open up a three-game series against division-rival Boston on Monday night at Fenway Park at 6:10 p.m. ET. Right-hander Aaron Sanchez will be on the mound for Toronto as he looks to solve some of the command issues which have been plaguing him throughout the first two weeks of the season. Sanchez walked a career high seven batters during his last outing against the Orioles, but still came away with the win.
Rays: The Rays will travel to New York to begin a three-game series against the Yankees on Monday at 7:05 p.m. ET. Nathan Karns will make his fifth start of the season. In Karns' Major League career, 24.5 percent of the fly balls he's allowed have gone for home runs. He threw a season-high 108 pitches in his last outing, a no-decision against the Red Sox on Wednesday night.
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