Shane Bieber delivered seven innings of one-run ball to help the Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 on Thursday afternoon at Rogers Centre.
Bieber allowed just three hits while striking out three batters and throwing 86 pitches. He relied heavily on his fastball, which averaged 92.5 mph, and induced 13 ground-ball outs.
Manager John Schneider praised the performance, noting how Bieber limited hard contact against a strong offensive team. "That was outstanding," Schneider said.
The Blue Jays scored early on heads-up baserunning by Ernie Clement and added RBI singles from George Springer and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Tampa Bay's only run came in the third inning on a double by Hunter Feduccia and a single by Yandy Díaz.
Bieber said he is finding his competitiveness and rhythm after earlier struggles following his return from the injured list. "I think that’s big for me," he said.
