Home runs. Home runs. Home runs.
That seems to be the repeating storyline at Sahlen Field in Buffalo as the Toronto Blue Jays hammered the Tampa Bay Rays, 12-4, on Friday night.
After giving up two runs to start the game in the first inning and one more run in the second inning, Toronto began their rally as they answered back in the bottom of the second with the first of six home runs as Rowdy Tellez hit a two-run home run to cut the Rays lead to 3-2.
Toronto then tied the game in the fourth inning and then took the lead for good in the sixth inning, where they exploded for three more home runs from Randal Grichuk, Bo Bichette and Teoscar Hernandez. The Blue Jays led 8-4 after six innings.
In the eighth, the long ball show continued. Danny Jansen scored on a passed ball to make the game 9-4. Then, Hernandez hit his second home run of the night; this one a three-run blast, and the Blue Jays took command with a 12-4 lead.
Combined with the seven home runs that the Blue Jays hit in their previous outing on Wednesday against the Miami Marlins, Toronto set a new team record with 13 team home runs in a two-game span.
After scoring a season-high 11 runs in the loss on Wednesday against the Marlins, Toronto set a new season-high mark for runs with 12 in the win.
Toronto is now 2-1 in three games in Buffalo at Sahlen field. They will continue the three-game series on Saturday against Tampa Bay.
The Blue Jays improve to 7-9 on the season.