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PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rays pounced on Toronto starter Anthony Kay early, then held on to defeat the Blue Jays 9-5 on Wednesday in Grapefruit League spring training

Tampa Bay scored four runs in the first inning off Kay, and added four more in the sixth to squash a Blue Jays comeback bid.

Kay, a 24-year-old left-hander acquired by the Blue Jays last season in the trade that sent Marcus Stroman to the New York Mets, lasted just 1/3 of an inning. He allowed one hit but walked four.

Bo Bichette hit a bases-clearing triple in the top of the third inning for Toronto, and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. drove in another run on a double to cut the deficit to 5-4. Bichette had two hits, one walk and a stolen base.

Patrick Kivlehan added a run for the Blue Jays on a ninth-inning solo homer.

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All four of Tampa’s sixth-inning runs came with Toronto reliever Patrick Murphy on the mound. Three runs were earned.

Right-hander Tyler Glasnow earned the win for the Rays. He allowed two hits and struck out three over 1 2/3 innings.

The Blue Jays open the regular season at home March 26 against the Boston Red Sox.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 4, 2020.