Junior Caminero’s 9th-inning grand slam powers Rays to 11-9 win over Blue Jays
TORONTO (AP) — Junior Caminero hit a tiebreaking grand slam during a five-run ninth inning, Danny Jansen homered against his former team, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-9 on Tuesday night.
Daulton Varsho homered twice for the Blue Jays, and his three-run shot in the eighth against Edwin Uceta (3-1) put Toronto ahead 7-6. After Chandler Simpson’s RBI single and Caminero’s 419-foot shot to the upper deck in left made it 11-7 in the ninth, the Rays survived run-scoring doubles by Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the bottom half.
Mason Montgomery came in to get the final out, retiring Varsho on a flyball for his first save of the season.
Jeff Hoffman (3-2) gave up Caminero’s eighth homer this season and blew his second save.
Jansen was drafted by Toronto in 2013 and played for the Blue Jays beginning in 2018 before being traded to the Red Sox last July. In August, he played for the Red Sox in the resumption of a suspended game from earlier in the season, becoming the first major leaguer to play for both teams in the same game. He signed a one-year deal with the Rays in the offseason.
Jonathan Aranda and Ernie Clement homered for Toronto, which had a four-game win streak snapped.
Rays designated hitter Yandy Díaz was placed on the restricted list and will miss the series because of a passport issue. Infielder Coco Montes was called up from Triple-A Durham.
Key moment
Simpson drove in Travis Jankowski with a bases-loaded single to tie the game and set up Caminero’s grand slam.
Key stats
The Rays have won eight of their last nine away games. Jansen extended his career-best on-base streak to 18 games.
Up next
Ryan Pepiot (2-4, 3.86 ERA) pitches for the Rays on Wednesday against the Blue Jays’ Chris Bassitt (3-2, 3.35).
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