Jonathan Aranda powers Rays past Blue Jays 8-5 as Kevin Gausman struggles

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Kevin Gausman (34) acknowledges the crowd after making his 2000th career strikeout during fourth inning MLB baseball action against the Tampa Bay Rays, in Toronto, Monday, May 11, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

TORONTO — Jonathan Aranda had a solo home run in the fifth inning and drove in a total of three runs to lift the Tampa Bay Rays over the Toronto Blue Jays 8-5 on Monday.

Richie Palacios had a two-run double after Aranda’s sacrifice fly in the first inning as Tampa Bay (27-13) grabbed an early 3-0 lead. Taylor Walls’s triple plated another run in the second.

Chandler Simpson scored in the fourth when he stole third base and the throw to stop him sailed wide of third baseman Kazuma Okamoto’s glove, allowing him to score. Palacios added some insurance with an RBI single in the seventh.

Drew Rasmussen (3-1) struck out six over six innings, allowing three runs on four hits and a walk. Ian Seymour, Hunter Bigge and Bryan Baker followed him to the mound.

Andres Gimenez had a three-run homer in the second inning and a two-run shot in the seventh as Toronto (18-23) lost back-to-back games. It was the first multihomer game of Gimenez’s seven-year MLB career.

Kevin Gausman (2-3) allowed seven runs — six earned — on 10 hits but struck out five over 4 2/3 innings. Mason Fluharty, Braydon Fisher, Joe Mantiply, and Yariel Rodriguez came on in relief.

TAKEAWAYS

Rays: Aranda and Simpson were threats every time they came to the plate. Aranda went 2-for-2 to improve his batting average to .279 on the season. He also scored twice after Palacios drove him in. Simpson went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases as he pulled his average up to .305.

Blue Jays: It was the worst outing of Gausman’s season to date. He had a 3.09 earned-run average entering the game. The six runs he gave up to the Rays were the most since he allowed four to the Minnesota Twins over 5 2/3 innings runs on April 30.

KEY MOMENT

Gausman’s strikeout of Hunter Feduccia in the fourth inning was the 2,000th of his 14-year MLB career.

KEY STAT

Gausman moved up to 90th on the all-time strikeouts list. There are five other active pitchers ahead of him on the list: Justin Verlander (eighth), Max Scherzer (11th), Chris Sale (28th), Gerrit Cole (61st) and Yu Darvish (80th).

UP NEXT

Patrick Corbin (1-1) gets the start for Toronto on Tuesday in the middle of the three-game series.

Tampa will counter with Shane McClanahan (4-2).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 11, 2026.

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press