Daulton Varsho hit a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning, giving the Toronto Blue Jays a 5-3 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.
Varsho’s blast to left came against Aaron Brooks (0-1), who making his major league season debut, and salvaged the finale of the three-game series for Toronto. The Rays are 5-1 against the Blue Jays this season.
With one out in the last of the 10th, Brooks walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Kazuma Okamoto to load the bases for Varsho. On a 2-2 fastball, Varsho hit a 375-foot shot for his fifth homer of the year and his second career walk-off blast.
Tampa Bay’s Ben Williamson scored automatic runner Chandler Simpson with a leadoff single in the top of the 10th against Jeff Hoffman (2-2). Williamson stole second and scored on Yandy Diaz’s one-out single to center.
Toronto starter Dylan Cease allowed one run, three hits and three walks while striking out nine in seven innings.
Tampa Bay starter Griffin Jax tossed five scoreless innings, aided by three double plays. He yielded four hits and four walks, and he fanned one.
Cease walked Aranda to lead off the seventh. Jake Fraley walked with one out and Richie Palacios lined an RBI single to center to put Tampa Bay up 1-0.
Rays reliever Garrett Cleavinger allowed Ernie Clement’s one-out single in the seventh, then hit Andres Gimenez with a pitch. Kevin Kelly replaced Cleavinger to face pinch hitter Lenyn Sosa, who lined into a double play.
Tampa Bay’s Taylor Walls led off the eighth with a single to left against Louis Varland. Aranda walked with two outs, and the bases were loaded after Toronto could not get an out on Diaz’s fielder’s-choice chopper to first. Varland escaped when Fraley popped out to shortstop.
Bryan Baker walked George Springer, Yohendrick Pinango and Guerrero to start the Toronto eighth. Okamoto hit a game-tying sacrifice fly to deep left.
Toronto’s Tyler Rogers allowed a one-out infield single to Cedric Mullins in the ninth and walked Hunter Feduccia. After a forceout at second left runners at the corners, Mason Fluharty replaced Rogers and ended the inning on Simpson’s pop to third.
