Kikuchi makes quality start to help Blue Jays beat Rays in series opener

Teoscar Hernandez and Santiago Espinal homered as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 on Thursday night in the opener of a five-game series at Rogers Centre.

Yusei Kikuchi made his first quality start in over a month and Adam Cimber earned the save as Toronto won for the third time in four games.

Toronto (43-33) moved into a second-place tie with Boston in the American League East standings. Tampa Bay fell 2 1/2 games behind the Blue Jays and idle Red Sox, who occupy the top two AL wild-card spots.

Isaac Paredes hit a solo shot for the Rays (40-35), who have dropped three in a row. Toronto outhit Tampa Bay 9-5.

Kikuchi (3-4) allowed one earned run, four hits and a walk. He had eight strikeouts in his first victory since May 16.

Tampa Bay opener Matt Wisler worked a scoreless frame before handing the ball to Ryan Yarbrough, freshly recalled from Triple-A Durham. Yarbrough gave up an infield single to Alejandro Kirk in the second before Hernandez hit his eighth homer of the year.

Kikuchi didn't allow a hit until Yandy Diaz stroked a two-out single in the third inning. He was left stranded when Wander Franco struck out.

Tampa Bay halved the lead in the fourth when Paredes curled a solo shot just inside the left-field foul screen. It was his 11th home run of the season.

Kikuchi fanned Taylor Walls in the fifth inning for his 400th career strikeout. The left-hander gave up back-to-back singles in the sixth but third baseman Matt Chapman made two strong defensive plays to stifle the threat.

Chapman started a 5-3 double play and then short-hopped a Randy Arozarena grounder before making a strong throw to first base for the third out.

In the seventh inning, reliever Trent Thornton gave up a single to Vidal Brujan,