WALDRON GRAIN & FUEL

05/17 20:25 CDT Rays' Tyler Alexander perfect through seven innings against Blue Jays Rays' Tyler Alexander perfect through seven innings against Blue Jays TORONTO (AP) --- Tampa Bay left-hander Tyler Alexander has a perfect game through seven innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night, and the Rays lead 4-0. Alexander has struck out four in his seventh start and ninth appearance this season. He has thrown 66 of 93 pitches for strikes, mixing 32 cutters, 22 fastballs, 18 sweepers, 11 changeups and 10 sinkers. Alexander has gone to three-ball counts five times. He struck out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a 3-2 pitch to end the fourth, then retired the Blue Jays slugger on a 3-2 pitch to end the seventh, capping a nine-pitch battle. Alexander needed 23 pitches to get through the seventh inning, going to three-ball counts on all three batters. George Springer saw six pitches before popping up and Bo Bichette eight before flying out. Ernie Clement flied out on a 3-2 pitch that ended the sixth. Right fielder Josh Lowe went down on one knee to make a sliding catch on Isiah Kiner-Falefa's sinking liner for the second out of the sixth. A 29-year-old in his sixth major league season, Alexander entered without a complete game in 48 major league starts. His career high is seven innings and his top pitch count is 102 as a rookie for Detroit against the Chicago White Sox on Aug. 7, 2019 There have been 24 perfect games in major league history, the last by the New York Yankees' Domingo Germn last June 28. Toronto was no-hit by Houston's Ronel Blanco on April 1. Right-hander Matt Garza threw the only no-hitter in Rays history, beating Detroit 5-0 at Tropicana Field on July 26, 2010. Garza walked one batter against the Tigers. Tampa Bay scored three runs in the sixth. Randy Arozarena doubled and came home on a throwing error by Guerrero at first. Isaac Paredes walked and Richie Palacios hit a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt. Yandy Daz had an RBI single in the seventh. ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb