Blake Snell strikes out 9 in Rays’ loss to Blue Jays

TORONTO (AP) — Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a two-run double in the seventh inning to help the Toronto Blue Jays overcome reigning AL Cy Young winner Blake Snell‘s no-hit bid in a 3-1 win over Tampa Bay on Saturday, snapping the Rays‘ five-game winning streak.

Snell didn’t allow a hit until Luke Maile singled with one out in the sixth.

With two runners on base and one out in the seventh inning, Gurriel Jr. drove a pitch from reliever Chaz Roe (0-2) off the center-field wall, giving the Blue Jays their first lead of the series.

Teoscar Hernandez added an insurance run one inning later.

Reliever Thomas Pannone (1-2) got the victory after pitching a scoreless seventh, while starter Clay Buchholz earned a no decision in his Blue Jays’ debut. Ken Giles got the last three outs for his fourth save.

Continuing a season-long trend, the Blue Jays have now scored 29 of their 52 runs this season in the seventh inning or later.

Despite failing to get a decision, Snell continued his stellar form since allowing five earned runs on opening day, with a 0.47 ERA in the 19 innings he’s pitched since. He has 33 strikeouts in those three starts, including nine on Saturday.

After retiring the first 10 Toronto batters, Snell’s bid for perfection ended when he walked Justin Smoak on four pitches in the fourth. Two innings later, his no-hit bid ended.

Rays manager Kevin Cash pulled his ace from the game after Freddy Galvis hit into a double play one batter later to end the inning, ending his outing after just 82 pitches.

It was the fifth time this season that Toronto has been no-hit through at least five innings, but the first time the Jays recovered to earn a victory. The team’s 96 hits is the lowest 15-game mark in franchise history.

Seeing his first action of the season after starting the year being on the injured list with an injured right elbow, Buchholz lasted six innings, limiting Tampa to one earned run off six hits, striking out two.

With Toronto’s infielders shifted to the right side of the diamond in the sixth inning, Austin Meadows drove a ball through the hole between second and third base, allowing Willy Adames to plate from second for the first run of the game.

With runners on first and third and one out in the top of the eighth, Tampa had a chance to tie the score, but both Tommy Pham and Ji-Man Choi struck out to end the threat.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: To make way for Buchholz on the roster, the team optioned INF Richard Urena to Triple-A Buffalo following Friday’s loss to Tampa.

UP NEXT

Rays: RHP Charlie Morton (2-0, 2.25) is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in three career starts against Toronto.

Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (0-2, 2.41) still awaits his first win of the season entering his fourth start of the season. Went 0-1 in two starts against Tampa Bay last year, allowing five earned runs in 6 1/3 innings pitched.