The Toronto Blue Jays used a big first inning to avoid a dubious pl

TORONTO (AP) — ace in baseball history Aaron Loup Jersey , helping right-hander Aaron Sanchez earn his first win in more than three months.Aledmys Diaz hit a three-run homer in a seven-run first, Sanchez matched a season best with eight strikeouts in six innings and the Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 10-3 on Wednesday night to prevent a three-game sweep.Billy McKinney added a solo homer as Toronto won for the third time in 12 meetings with the Rays this season. Tampa Bay’s four-game winning streak was snapped.“Anytime you’re trying to come back from three-run homers in the first inning, it makes it challenging,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.Tampa Bay outfielder Kevin Kiermaier hit two solo home runs for his third career multihomer game. He also did it against Toronto on Aug. 23, 2017.Toronto had managed five hits or fewer in its previous seven meetings with Tampa Bay, matching the longest such streak in the majors since 1920. The Baltimore Orioles did it to the Washington Senators between Sept. 11, 1968 and April 18, 1969, according to STATS.The Blue Jays skirted taking sole possession of the mark with a six-hit first, sending 12 batters to the plate. Devon Travis had two hits in the inning, one fewer than the Blue Jays managed over nine innings in Tuesday’s 4-0 defeat.Sanchez (4-5) allowed three runs and six hits to win for the first time since June 3 at Detroit.“Getting that cushion early on allowed me to go out there and work on things I’ve been putting into play in between starts,” said Sanchez, who made his third start since missing two months because of an injured finger.Sanchez allowed two runs in the second but retired 11 of 12 from the end of that inning until Kiermaier’s second homer in the sixth.“He had a little blip there in the second where he lost command but then he got pretty nasty, pretty quick,” Cash said.Sanchez was also fortunate to escape potential injury in the second, managing to get his glove in front of his face to deflect a hard liner from Rays catcher Nick Ciuffo. The ball rolled into foul territory, giving Ciuffo his first career hit.“I had an incident like that in high school where I hit a kid in the face,” Ciuffo said. “You never want to see that happen to anybody.”Kiermaier’s home runs were his fifth and sixth of the season. A fan made a barehand catch on Kiermaier’s second drive.Blue Jays right fielder Randal Grichuk made a sensational leaping catch on Kiermaier’s liner to the wall to end the third. Kiermaier Matt Adams Jersey , a two-time Gold Glove winner, stopped on the basepaths to applaud Grichuk’s play, waiting to give the outfielder a playful shove as Grichuk jogged back to his dugout.“I told him it was a heck of a play, don’t ever do it again,” Kiermaier said.Grichuk was on the other end when Mallex Smith caught his drive to wall in right for the final out of the sixth.Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow (1-5) faced 10 batters and got two outs, his shortest career start. Glasnow allowed seven runs and five hits.“He wasn’t able to land his breaking ball,” Cash said. “I think the Blue Jays’ lineup kind of realized that.”ROWDY ARRIVALBlue Jays 1B Rowdy Tellez entered as a pinch-hitter in the sixth and lined the first pitch of his major league career for an RBI double. Tellez, who lost his mother to cancer earlier this summer, struggled to contain himself after his hit. “I was just trying not to cry,” Tellez said. “A pretty emotional moment for me.”TRAINER’S ROOMBlue Jays: Manager John Gibbons said RHP Marcus Stroman (blister) will miss his next scheduled start, Sunday against Cleveland. LHP Thomas Pannone will face the Indians instead. Stroman is reluctant to shut down his season despite persistent blister issues. … RHP David Paulino (shoulder) was activated from the disabled list. Paulino was acquired from Houston in the July 30 trade that sent closer Roberto Osuna to the Astros.OSUNA UPDATEThe assault case against Osuna was adjourned for two weeks Wednesday. Osuna’s lawyer, Domenic Basile, told reporters he continues to have discussions with Crown prosecutors about a resolution to the case, which is scheduled to resume Sept. 19.UP NEXTRays: After an off day, LHP Blake Snell (17-5, 2.02 ERA) starts Friday in the opener of a three-game series at Baltimore. Snell, the AL pitcher of the month for August, has won five straight starts. RHP Dylan Bundy (7-13 Kevin Long Jersey , 5.36) goes for the Orioles.Blue Jays: RHP Sam Gaviglio (3-7, 5.02 ERA) pitches Thursday in the opener of a four-game series against Cleveland. Gaviglio went 1-3 with a 4.82 ERA in five August starts. RHP Shane Bieber (8-3, 4.66) starts for the Indians. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Madison Bumgarner was joking when he told manager Bruce Bochy he absolutely refuses to pitch behind an opener.It won’t happen anyway.San Francisco’s ace lefty is hardly a likely candidate to follow someone else to the mound who works the first inning.“If you use an opener in my game, I’m walking right out of the ballpark,” Bumgarner wrote in a text to Bochy after new team president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said in December the Giants were open to the idea.Bochy recalled the message this month during Fan Fest.“Everybody in this clubhouse knows what kind of teammate I am,” Bumgarner said. “Some people may have forgotten that. Not in here. Outside, according to all this being talked about right now with that junk. It’s OK. All I care about is the guys in here, and that’s it. When it comes to the stuff on the field, I think they all know what kind of teammate I am.”Cubs manager Joe Maddon is curious to see how many clubs employ an opener strategy, one that proved valuable for Tampa Bay and Oakland last season.“Like Bumgarner said, of course you’re not going to do it with him,” Maddon said. “You’re not going to do it with Jon Lester, you’re not going to do it with probably every guy that we have.”Bumgarner has moved forward from two somewhat forgettable injury-shortened seasons.The 2014 World Series MVP missed nearly three months two years ago after an April dirt bike accident during an off day in Colorado.Then Bumgarner broke the pinkie on his pitching hand when he was hit by a line drive from Kansas City’s Whit Merrifield in his final 2018 spring training start, undergoing surgery to insert pins into the finger. He returned in June and wound up 6-7 with a 3.26 ERA in 21 starts and 129 2/3 innings.“I’ve already done that,” Bumgarner said of looking toward this season and not behind. “Especially last year. The first one I could have made a better decision. Last year, that’s part of the risk you take standing that close to the hitter. I’m not living in the past, I’m not living in the future http://www.nationalsfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-adams-jersey , I’m living today. That’s what I do.”He takes more time off during the winter than most, about six weeks, and doesn’t throw off a mound until he arrives at spring training — something he learned from former Giants pitcher Matt Cain when he came up to the big leagues. Bumgarner begins throwing six weeks ahead of camp.“It just makes sense. There’s no need,” Bumgarner said. “If you’re using spring training to get ready for the season then why not use it to get ready for the season.”Last month, Zaidi hired pitching analyst Matt Daniels. Bumgarner might not be the first to reach out. He calls himself “old school” yet also open to new information.“The thing about Madison, this guy’s always trying to get better,” Bochy said. “He does a lot of self-teaching, but he listens, he talks to other players along with of course our coaches. He’s got a knack of figuring it out himself how to get better. He’s open to suggestions.”In April 2012, Bumgarner signed a $35.56 million, six-year deal through 2017 that included $12 million club options for both 2018 and ’19. The Giants exercised his $12 million contract option for this year, if San Francisco fails to contend the Giants could consider trades this summer.“I haven’t thought about that,” catcher Buster Posey said. “I sure hope we’re in a position where it’s out of the question, that’s what I hope is the case and hopefully I don’t have to think about that.”