The Toronto Blue Jays are with their backs against the wall now, as they lost the opening game of the best-of-three Wild Card series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The American League’s No. 1 seed showed just where all that dominance is coming from, as they cruised past the Blue Jays 3-1 at the Tropicana Field in Miami.
The Jays win was a combination of both defense and offense. With left-handed pitcher Blake Snell taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning, shortstop Willy Adames making great defensive plays and Manuel Margot delivering a two-run homer, the AL East champions opened the playoffs with a statement.
Snell allowed just two baserunners until Alejandro Kirk singled leading off the sixth. The 27-year-old lefty retired the next two batters, but Cash didn’t give him a chance to finish the inning.
Diego Castillo, Nick Anderson and Pete Fairbanks followed the starter, limiting the Blue Jays to two singles, two doubles and Bo Bichette’s eighth-inning sacrifice fly the rest of the way.
“I’m getting into a groove. It usually takes me a little while to get going anyway,” Snell said. “It’s been two months but I usually start slow. I’m starting to get the hang of it, starting to feel it. The playoff energy always gets me a lot more excited, for sure.”
The Rays will try to advance in the best-of-three wild-card matchup Game 2 at Tropicana Field. The winner of the series will face either the New York Yankees or the Cleveland Indians in the American League Division Series. The 'Bronx Bombers' pulled out a great Game 1 victory by 12-3.