Blue Jays Trounce League-Leading Rays 20-1

There are no bigger games than those against one’s own division. On Tuesday night, the Toronto Blue Jays absolutely took it to the Tampa Bay Rays in what was the second tilt of a four-game road series in Florida.

Despite falling 6-4 to the same Rays on Monday night in the series opener, Toronto rebounded seismically with a 20-1 thrashing of Tampa just 24 hours later.

José Berríos went seven full innings for the Jays and earned his fourth victory of the season, while giving up just five hits and one run to go alongside five strikeouts on the night.

As for Toronto’s bats, well, it was night and day from Tampa Bay.

Night and day, black and white… call it whatever you’d like, but the Blue Jays hit just about everything offered in the game.

With 44 total bases earned and a whopping 27 hits, Toronto put up one of its highest single-game hit totals in franchise history – second only to last season’s 29 hits against Boston. The 20 runs scored is the fourth-most put up by the team in its 46-year existence.

Every single Jays starter registered at least one hit on the night, while nine players had multi-hit games. In fact, all 12 of Toronto’s batters found their way to first base on at least one occasion.

George Springer led the way with four hits, while Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette, Danny Jansen and Whit Merrifield each had three hits in the game.

Springer, Guerrero Jr., Jansen and Matt Chapman each homered in the game, with Vladdy leading the way with a ninth-inning, gloveless grand slam off of position player Luke Raley.

Grand #PLAKATA 💥 ¯_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/yNRGyXWVWu

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 24, 2023

Entering the game on a five-game winless streak, the Blue Jays bounced back in quite possibly the best way imaginable. Although having only picked up just one win in its last eight games, Toronto managed to put up more runs (20) in Tuesday’s game alone than it had in its previous seven contests (19).

Sure, 10 of those runs came off of position players chucking ‘change-ups’ to the batters’ box, but the offensive explosion certainly helps a team that has recently found itself all the way in the bottom of the American League’s East Division. The five-game losing streak did not help things, but the curb-stomping of the league’s very best team certainly did.

Around Full Press Coverage

NFL OPINION: Morten Andersen: The Toughest Place To Kick? For Me, It Was This Place

NFL: Joe Klecko: How Fate Changed My Life … And Sent Me To Canton

NFL DRAFT: 2023 NFL Draft Profile: QB C.J. Stroud

FULL PRESS HOCKEY: Arizona Coyotes Arena Deal Rejected by Tempe Voters

PODCAST: According To Who? Ep 2: Top 5 Super Bowls Of All Time

WANT MORE PODCASTS? Check Out Some Of The Latest From Around The FPC Network

Toronto does remain in the five-hole, with the Boston Red Sox a half-game ahead. But the real threats are the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles, whose 29-20 and 31-16 records pose the most concern for Jays fans hoping to see their young team finally make a sizeable splash come October.

Currently sitting at 26-23 on the year, the Blue Jays are home to some of the best hitters in the game, but for now, it’s the team’s pitching that has been its greatest weakness. So far, the bottom three starters have produced more along the lines of how some would envision the top-three members of the rotation.

Toronto will need to show that this lopsided victory is not a fluke, and continue its dominance as the series wears on. Wednesday features a 5:40 PM showdown, while Thursday’s series finale will be an afternoon game, with opening pitch coming at 12:10 PM central time. The Jays will face Shane McClanahan and his 7-0 record on Wednesday. They will counter with Yusei Kikuchi on the mound.

Toronto is now three-for-five against the Rays, and while contributing to three of Tampa’s 15 total losses on the season.