New York – Yoshitomo Tsutsugo belted a three-run home run in the Tampa Bay Rays’ 7-5 come-from-behind win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.
The Japanese slugger put the Rays up by a run in the fourth inning at Sahlen Field before Toronto reclaimed the lead with back-to-back homers. Tsutsugo went 2-for-3, with a double in the sixth, and recorded his third long ball of the season.
Tsutsugo is preparing for his second showdown with Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, who is set to make his third start on Tuesday. Tanaka retired his Japanese compatriot twice in their first big league meeting on Aug. 7.
Tampa Bay clinched the win in extra innings with a clutch two-run blast from Willy Adames in the eighth.
Earlier, in the finish of a game suspended Saturday night because of rain, Brandon Lowe hit a solo home run in the ninth to lift the Rays to a 3-2 win.
Aaron Loup (3-0) got the win in both games.
In a contest shortened and scheduled to go seven innings, Adames came up with one out and hit the first pitch from Wilmer Font (1-2) for an opposite-field homer. An automatic runner started at second base under Major League Baseball’s extra-innings rule and Adames connected.
“I wanted to be aggressive because I knew he was going to attack the zone,” Adames said. “He gave me the right pitch to hit and I put the barrel on it. I was just happy that the ball went out and we got the win.”
The Rays tied the game with two outs in the seventh when Austin Meadows scored from first after Blue Jays right fielder Teoscar Hernandez misplayed Yandy Diaz’s single.
“Right when you think you count us out, we do all the little things right to come back and give ourselves a chance,” Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier said.
Randal Grichuk, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Alford hit home runs for Toronto. The Blue Jays went 2-3 despite hitting 17 homers in their first week at Sahlen Field, the team’s temporary home this season and the park of their Triple-A affiliate.
“We’re almost there,” Toronto manager Charlie Montoyo said. “To get to the next point, we have to play clean baseball, and we haven’t been.” Loup faced two batters in the suspended game and working the seventh inning in the nightcap. Aaron Slegers pitched a perfect eighth inning for his first save.
Dodgers 8, Angels 3
In Anaheim, Keibert Ruiz homered in his first major league at-bat, Corey Seager hit a three-run homer and the Dodgers swept the Freeway Series.
The Angels’ Shohei Ohtani was1-for-4.
White Sox 7, Cardinals 2
Indians 8, Tigers 5
Athletics 15, Giants 3
Nationals 6, Orioles 5
Braves 4, Marlins 0
Phillies 6, Mets 2
Brewers 6, Cubs 5
Astros 3 Mariners 2
Rockies 10, Rangers 6
Twins 4, Royals 2
Diamondbacks 5, Padres 4
Source : Baseball – The Japan Times
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