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Jake Faria steps up again as Rays rout Blue Jays (w/video)

 
Rays rookie starter Jake Faria continues to impress, pitching into the seventh inning and allowing one run to the Blue Jays.
Rays rookie starter Jake Faria continues to impress, pitching into the seventh inning and allowing one run to the Blue Jays.
Published June 14, 2017

TORONTO — For all the battling the Rays have done to stay around .500 for the first two months of the season waiting for the return of injured potential impact players in Matt Duffy, Brad Boxberger and Wilson Ramos, there was reason to be concerned over the past few days as two key contributors, centerfielder Kevin Kiermaier and starter Matt Andriese, headed to the disabled list for months-long stays.

But outfielder Mallex Smith settled some uneasy stomachs with his dazzling showing over the weekend as a dynamic and disruptive force at the plate and on the bases while covering lots of ground in covering for Kiermaier.

And then Tuesday, rookie Jake Faria showed that the hole in their rotation might not be so bad either, turning in a second straight impressive outing, working into the seventh inning while holding the powerful Blue Jays to one run.

The result was an 8-1 win that — amazing but true — broke the gravitational hold of .500 as the Rays improved to 35-32, matching their season-high mark by getting three games over for the first time since being 5-2 on April 9.

Thanks to a monstrous three-run homer by Logan Morrison and other help from his new friends with their bats and gloves, Faria joined Joe Kennedy (2001) and Jeremy Hellickson (2010) as the only Rays to win their first two career games as starters.

"I was (up) here before, it's the same game, just like last time," Faria said, though noting the crowd of 39,404 was the largest he'd pitched before. "So just try to not to think too much of it. And just attack the zone and do what I know how to do."

Morrison's 429-foot blast into the Rogers Centre bar area above the centerfield fence in the third was the biggest blow, and his 18th of the season, second most in the American League.

Taylor Featherston got the Rays started with a solo homer off starter Marco Estrada, Evan Longoria greeted reliever Dominic Leon in the fourth with a two-run double and Corey Dickerson added on in the ninth with his 15th homer.

"At the end of the day they're big losses, Matt Andriese is a big loss, KK, we've gone through this already with KK, we know how huge this can be," manager Kevin Cash said. "I think it does bring the guys together. And it's always nice when you get the guys that come in to fill in and get some really strong performances from them. And that's what we've gotten. Mallex Smith has been outstanding on both sides of the ball. … And Jake Faria to fill in the last two starts, looks like he belongs."

The loss of Andriese, for potentially two-plus months due to a stress reaction (but not fracture) in his right hip, is a major blow as he was one of the most consistent members of a starting staff that went into play Tuesday third-best in the American League with a 3.96 ERA.

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Even more so since the Rays had already dumped Blake Snell from their rotation, replacing him with Erasmo Ramirez. And since two of their projected top Triple-A starters, Jose De Leon and Taylor Guerrieri, are on the disabled list. (De Leon, who has a lat issue, could be back in 3-5 weeks; Guerrieri, elbow problem, won't start throwing until late July at best.) And since they converted two others, Austin Pruitt (in the majors) and Chih-Wei Hu (at Durham), to relief.

The absence of Andriese — who was 5-1 with a 3.54 ERA in 12 starts — will test their depth.

"Quite a bit," Cash said. "Matt was putting together a really solid season before the groin stuff (a precursor to the hip diagnosis) popped up. I think we're confident that we have the guys that can come in and fill that void.

"Obviously Jacob Faria is going to get first crack at it. Blake Snell has done some good things at Triple A, he's continued to make progress so we're excited about that."

Marc Topkin can be reached at mtopkin@tampabay.com. Follow @TBTimes_Rays.