Meadows drives in 3, Rays stay alive by routing Jays 11-3

Austin Meadows drove in three runs, Tommy Pham reached base three times and had two RBIs and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-3 on Friday night to keep their postseason hopes alive.

Pham walked twice, tripled and added a sacrifice fly as the Rays bounced back from a tough, 9-8 loss Thursday, when the Blue Jays scored seven runs in the bottom of the ninth inning for the victory. Tampa Bay has not lost consecutive games since Aug. 17-18 at Boston.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit two home runs for the Blue Jays, and Randal Grichuk added a solo shot. Toronto has lost 10 of 14 games against Tampa Bay this season.

Tampa Bay Rays' Ji-Man Choi gets a hug from Willy Adames after scoring against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 21, 2018, in Toronto. (Fred ThornhillThe Canadian Press via AP)

Gurriel's older brother, Yuli, hit two home runs for Houston on Friday night. They are the first brothers in major league history to have multihomer games on the same day.

With the win, the Rays moved six games behind Oakland in the race for the second American League wild card spot. Tampa Bay is 15-4 in September.

Gurriel, who hit a game-tying homer in the ninth inning of Toronto's win on Thursday, became the first rookie in Blue Jays history to homer in three straight at bats when he connected off Diego Castillo in the first and off Jalen Beeks in the fourth. Gurriel Jr. is the 14th Toronto player to achieve the feat, the first since Josh Donaldson on Sept. 16-17, 2017.

Tampa Bay Rays' C.J. Cron is greeted by teammates in the dugout after scoring against the Toronto Blue Jays during the sixth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 21, 2018, in Toronto. (Fred ThornhillThe Canadian Press via AP)

Promoted from Triple-A Durham on Thursday, Meadows went 3-for-3 with two singles and a double after replacing injured designated hitter Ji-Man Choi (left knee) in the sixth. Meadows was acquired from Pittsburgh in the July 31 trade that sent right-hander Chris Archer to the Pirates.

Diego Castillo opened for the Rays and allowed one run and one hit in one inning. Jalen Beeks (5-1) followed by allowing two runs in three innings, Adam Kolarek worked 1 2-3, Hunter Wood got one out, and Austin Pruitt pitched the final three innings for his third save.

Making his sixth career start, Blue Jays right-hander Sean Reid-Foley (2-4) allowed for runs, two earned, and six hits in four-plus innings.

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Diego Castillo throws to a Toronto Blue Jays batter during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 21, 2018, in Toronto. (Fred ThornhillThe Canadian Press via AP)

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rays: Manager Kevin Cash and the trainer came out to check on Choi after his leadoff double in the fifth. Choi stayed in and scored on Pham's triple before coming out of the game.

UP NEXT

Rays RHP Tyler Glasnow (2-6, 4.22) faces Blue Jays LHP Thomas Pannone (3-1, 3.77) on Saturday afternoon. Glasnow allowed seven runs and five hits in 2-3 of an inning in a Sept. 5 loss at Toronto. Pannone has won his past two starts, including a Sept. 16 outing at Yankee Stadium.

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Sean Reid-Foley throws to a Tampa Bay Rays batter during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 21, 2018, in Toronto. (Fred ThornhillThe Canadian Press via AP)

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Toronto Blue Jays' Lourdes Gurriel Jr. gets a sunflower-seed shower in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 21, 2018, in Toronto. (Fred ThornhillThe Canadian Press via AP)