AL-leading Rays reach 100-game mark with another win over Blue Jays

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Jul 21, 2026

Published in Baseball

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TORONTO — Handing Drew Rasmussen a three-run lead before he takes the mound would typically be a foundation for Rays success.

Tuesday, the two-time All-Star needed a couple of deep breaths and a few big pitches to escape a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first, and then he and the Rays cruised to a 12-2 win over Toronto.

Rasmussen, who had a pair of rough starts prior to his July 14 All-Star outing, worked into the sixth. Nick Fortes drove in four runs, while Jonny DeLuca and Yandy Diaz delivered three each, and Chandler Simpson and Ben Williamson rapped four hits apiece.

The Rays reached the 100-game mark by improving their American League-leading record to 58-42 and expanding their East Division lead to two games over the Yankees, who were rained out.

The Rays also clinched the season series against Toronto, which — while unlikely to have playoff implications given the Jays’ struggles — was their ninth straight season of doing so, a franchise record against an opponent.

There also were a couple of individual milestones.

Diaz played in his 1,000th career game, becoming the 24th Cuban-born player to do so.

And Simpson reached the 100-hit mark, just the fourth Ray to do so in each of his first two big league seasons. He joined the impressive group of Rocco Baldelli (2003-04), Aki Iwamura (2007-08) and Evan Longoria (2008-09).

The offense was obviously a team effort, with a season-high 21 hits, three shy of the franchise single-game record, and a 7-for-15 night with runners in scoring position.

The Rays started early, cobbling together an impressive three-run rally with two outs in the first off Kevin Gausman. It started with a six-pitch walk to Junior Caminero, then consecutive hits by Cedric Mullins (double), DeLuca (two-run single), Simpson (RBI single) and Williamson.

Rasmussen flirted with trouble, loading the bases with one out, but he escaped with the 3-0 lead intact, getting Daulton Varsho to pop out and striking out Kazuma Okamoto.

The Rays added on from there.

They got two in the fourth on the combination of a single by Diaz, a Caminero walk, a Mullins fielder’s choice force out at second (then a stolen base and run-scoring throwing error), and an RBI single by DeLuca.

And they got three more in the fifth, as Simpson and Williamson singled for their third hits of the night, and Fortes delivered a three-run homer, the second straight night he went deep.

Fortes singled in a run in the ninth, then Diaz delivered a three-run homer, his first since July 7.

Rasmussen worked into the sixth, lifted after allowing three straight hits that led to two runs. Cole Sulser, Craig Kimbrel and Garrett Cleavinger finished.