Friday was full of emotional twists and turns for the Rays.

They woke up back home after sweeping a series in Baltimore, owners of a seven-game winning streak, with jubilant confidence emanating from their clubhouse. When they arrived at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla., for a “road” series only miles from home, they said their unexpected goodbyes to starting shortstop and clubhouse sparkplug Willy Adames, who was traded to the Brewers about three hours before facing the Blue Jays. Their ace delivered a surprisingly un-ace-like start against a tough Toronto lineup. They left the bases loaded in the 11th.

But by the time the night was over, they had reason to celebrate again. Francisco Mejía bashed a grand slam to right field off reliever Jeremy Beasley in the 12th inning, and the Rays held on to secure a 9-7 win over the Blue Jays that extended their winning streak to eight games.

• Box score

“It definitely started out like a big blow to everybody, for sure. It's a lot of heart and soul coming out of the clubhouse that Willy brought every day,” second baseman Brandon Lowe said. “But we understood. Everybody got to say their goodbyes and part on good terms.

“And to walk out with a win today -- especially in the way that it happened -- definitely lifts the spirits.”

• Trading Adames "especially hard" for Rays

The Rays’ recent run is tied for the third-longest winning streak in franchise history, last accomplished on Aug. 19-26, 2018. They won nine in a row from July 12-26, 2014, and a franchise-record 12 in a row from June 9-22, 2004. They’ve scored 72 runs during this streak, and they’ve come back from multiple-run deficits in four of their eight victories, including Friday night’s extra-innings affair.

They had to come back after an unusually out-of-sync start by Tyler Glasnow. He allowed two runs in the first inning, another run in the second on Marcus Semien’s triple, one in the third on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s home run and one more in the fifth on Semien’s homer to left field. Glasnow struck out only two hitters, tied for his lowest single-game total since joining the Rays in 2018, in a season-low 4 2/3 innings.

But Tampa Bay’s bullpen held the line, with Jeffrey Springs, Andrew Kittredge, Pete Fairbanks and Ryan Thompson -- who worked two innings and stranded a runner at third in the 10th -- putting up zero after zero.

“I can't rave enough about what our bullpen did today to keep it right there and just give us every opportunity,” manager Kevin Cash said.

And as it has grown accustomed to during this winning streak, the Rays' lineup took advantage.

Lowe drove in Tampa Bay's first three runs. He entered the night with only two hits and 20 strikeouts in 50 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers this season, but he turned that around against lefty Anthony Kay in the third inning by bashing a fastball a projected 375 feet out to right field for a two-run homer. Lowe went deep to right again, this time off lefty reliever Travis Bergen, in the fifth.

“He worked so hard last year and had significant success against lefties. And this year it maybe hasn't gone his way, but tonight was a big step in the right direction,” Cash said.

In the sixth, Ji-Man Choi once again delivered in a big spot off the bench. Summoned by Cash to pinch-hit for Mike Brosseau, Choi took five straight pitches from A.J. Cole to work the count full, then mashed a cutter out to right field for a game-tying homer. It was his second homer in five games since rejoining the Rays' lineup last Sunday.

Then the Rays went quiet until the 11th. Mejía walked, Joey Wendle hustled to third on Kevin Kiermaier's flyout, and Toronto intentionally walked Randy Arozarena to load the bases. But Brett Phillips took a called third strike from Joel Payamps, leaving the bases loaded. That was not the end, however, because Diego Castillo returned the favor by striking out Semien with the bases loaded in the bottom half, giving the Rays another chance.

“It was an emotional roller-coaster, for sure, in the dugout,” Cash said.

In the 12th, Phillips moved to third on a groundout by Yandy Díaz. The Jays intentionally walked Lowe and Wendle, with Beasley striking out Manuel Margot in between, to load the bases. Before Margot’s at-bat, Cash told Mejía to be ready. Then up he came, swinging at a first-pitch changeup and clubbing it a projected 410 feet out to right field.

“We were looking for that big hit,” Mejía said through interpreter Manny Navarro. “I had been there waiting for that at-bat for a while, so I had time to think about it, and luckily the result turned in the right way.”

It was the Rays’ first hit since Choi’s game-tying homer in the sixth. It was “definitely one of the cooler home runs I think I've seen,” Lowe said. And it was the perfect ending to a long, emotional day.

“Off the bat, you knew it was a no-doubter,” Cash said. “Pretty special moment.”