Norris leads Blue Jays to 4-1 victory

TAMPA, FL - The Blue Jays (20-5) took the second of a three-game set with the Tampa Yankees (13-12) on Tuesday 4-1. The Jays have won each of their first eight series this season.
 
LHP Daniel Norris (W, 3-0) earned the win after shutting out Tampa over 6.0 innings. Norris surrendered just three hits and a walk while punching out five men. He lowered his ERA to 0.75 over 25.0 innings this season.
 
The Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. 3B Gustavo Pierre singled to begin the inning. 2B Jorge Flores then saw a ball off of his bat sneak through the infield for a single, allowing Pierre to advance all the way to third base. LF Dwight Smith, Jr.  collected his first RBI of the night with a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Pierre.
 
The Jays added two more runs in the top of the fifth. Pierre tripled to right-centerfield to open the inning and scored when Smith tripled over the head of centerfielder Jake Cave. Smith scored on 1B K.C. Hobson's sacrifice flyout to center. Pierre collected three hits for the second consecutive night.
 
Hobson collected another RBI sac fly in the seventh inning, extending the D-Jays lead to 4-0. The Yankees responded with a run in the bottom of the frame. Peter O'Brien led off with a triple. He scored Tampa's lone run on a single by Zach Wilson into center.  
 
RHP Justin Jackson pitched 1.2 innings in relief, allowing the Yankees only run. LHP Efrain Nieves record 0.1 inning, and RHP Danny Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning. RHP Arik Sikula (S, 9) recorded his third save in four days by pitching a perfect ninth frame. Sikula's nine saves lead the FSL.

Eric Ruth (L, 2-1) started and took the loss. He allowed three run on five hits and a walk over 5.0 innings. Alex Smith and Dietrich Enns each pitched 2.0 innings; Smith allowed one run.

The Blue Jays look to complete a sweep of the Yankees on Wednesday. First pitch is at 7:00 p.m. EST at George M. Steinbrenner Field.