Rays' Tyler Alexander comes within 5 outs of perfect game against Blue Jays

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Alexander (14) reacts while walking back to the dugout after the seventh inning of MLB baseball action against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, Friday, May 17, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Katsarov

The Toronto Blue Jays' Danny Jansen broke up a perfect game bid by the Tampa Bay Rays' Tyler Alexander when he blooped an opposite-field single with one out in the eighth inning on Friday night.

Alexander retired his first 22 batters before Jansen hit a 1-0 changeup near the low, outside corner off the end of his bat. The ball landed cleanly 206 feet from the plate, between right fielder Josh Lowe and second baseman Richie Palacios.

The single came on Alexander's 97th pitch. Davis Schneider homered two pitches later, cutting Toronto's deficit to 4-2, and Daulton Varsho singled on Alexander's 105th and final pitch, three more than Alexander's previous career high.

Alexander needed 23 pitches to get through the seventh inning, going to three-ball counts on all three batters. He struck out four and walked none in his seventh start and ninth appearance this season.

Lowe had gone 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 does not have a complete game in 49 major league starts. His previous high for innings was seven.

Right-hander Matt Garza threw the only no-hitter in Rays history, beating Detroit 5-0 at Tropicana Field on July 26, 2010.

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 Díaz had an RBI single in the seventh