Alejandro Kirk hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the visiting Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Wednesday night.
Kirk and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. each had two hits to help the Blue Jays draw even in the three-game series. Brandon Lowe had two hits for the Rays.
Toronto right-hander Chris Bassitt avoided trouble in the third when speedy Chandler Simpson was caught stealing and Lowe followed with a double.
Tampa Bay opened the scoring with one run in the fourth. Bassitt issued a leadoff walk to Jonathan Aranda, who was forced out at second on Christopher Morel’s grounder to third. Morel then stole second and continued to third as catcher Kirk’s throw went into center field. Kameron Misner stroked an RBI single to right and took third on Jose Caballero’s double down the left-field line.
Bassitt was able to limit the damage when Misner was thrown out at home by drawn-in second baseman Ernie Clement on Travis Jankowski’s grounder. Danny Jansen then bounced to the pitcher to end the inning.
Rays right-hander Ryan Pepiot (2-5) pitched around two first-inning singles and did not allow another hit until Kirk led off the fifth with a single to right. Pepiot worked out of the inning after Clement’s one-out single.
Bassitt struck out the first two batters in the sixth before walking Caballero. He was replaced by Brendon Little (2-0), who pitched 1 1/3 innings. Bassitt allowed one run on seven hits and two walks while striking out six in 5 2/3 innings.
Guerrero drew a walk to open the bottom of the sixth. After two strikeouts, Daulton Varsho grounded a single to right. Kirk homered to right center on an 0-2 fastball that was up and over the middle of the plate.
Pepiot finished six innings and allowed three runs on six hits and one walk, with seven strikeouts.
Toronto’s Yariel Rodriguez tossed a perfect eighth and Yimi Garcia pitched a clean ninth to earn his third save.
The Rays did not have a hit after the fifth inning. Their only two runners after that point came on a walk and an error.
