ST. PETERSBURG -- Chris Archer responded well to his new contract extension, leading the Rays to a 7-2 victory over the Blue Jays Thursday night at Tropicana Field.Evan Longoria capped the victory with a three-run homer in the seventh, the 163rd of his career, tying Carlos Pena for the franchise record.The win earned the Rays a split of the four-game series while improving their record to 2-2 on the season.On Wednesday afternoon, the Rays announced that Archer had agreed to a contract extension that could keep him in a Rays uniform through 2021 and pay him as much as $43.75 million. The 25-year-old right-hander earned the deal through talent and hard work. Both were on display in his first outing since putting a few extra bucks in his pocket. 
Archer allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out seven in six innings to pick up his first win of the season.A swarming Rays offense gave Archer ample support against tough Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow.Ryan Hanigan singled in the second for his first hit with the Rays and his first RBI, as Matt Joyce, who had doubled, scored on the play.David DeJesus, who missed the past two games after getting hit on his right foot on Monday night, tripled to right to open the Rays' third. Desmond Jennings followed with a chopper over third baseman Brett Lawrie's head that scored DeJesus. The Rays speedster turned the hit into a hustling double with a head-first slide into second, where he executed a swim move to avoid the tag.Ben Zobrist singled through the right side to drive home Jennings, then moved to third on Longoria's single to right. Zobrist scored the Rays' third run in the third when James Loney hit into a 6-4-3 double play putting the Rays up 4-0.The Blue Jays answered in the fourth on Dioner Navarro's sacrifice fly and Lawrie's infield single to cut the lead to 4-2.Longoria put the finishing touch on the victory when he deposited a 2-1 pitch from Esmil Rogers into the left-field stands with two aboard for a 7-2 Rays lead.Longoria's home run was the Rays' first of the season.Bill Chastain / MLB.com
Archer allowed two runs on four hits and two walks while striking out seven in six innings to pick up his first win of the season.A swarming Rays offense gave Archer ample support against tough Blue Jays starter Brandon Morrow.Ryan Hanigan singled in the second for his first hit with the Rays and his first RBI, as Matt Joyce, who had doubled, scored on the play.David DeJesus, who missed the past two games after getting hit on his right foot on Monday night, tripled to right to open the Rays' third. Desmond Jennings followed with a chopper over third baseman Brett Lawrie's head that scored DeJesus. The Rays speedster turned the hit into a hustling double with a head-first slide into second, where he executed a swim move to avoid the tag.Ben Zobrist singled through the right side to drive home Jennings, then moved to third on Longoria's single to right. Zobrist scored the Rays' third run in the third when James Loney hit into a 6-4-3 double play putting the Rays up 4-0.The Blue Jays answered in the fourth on Dioner Navarro's sacrifice fly and Lawrie's infield single to cut the lead to 4-2.Longoria put the finishing touch on the victory when he deposited a 2-1 pitch from Esmil Rogers into the left-field stands with two aboard for a 7-2 Rays lead.Longoria's home run was the Rays' first of the season.Bill Chastain / MLB.com
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
