TORONTO (AP) — Tyler Alexander took a perfect game bid into the eighth inning before Danny Jansen blooped an opposite-field, one-out single, and the Tampa Bay Rays hung on to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 on Friday night.

Richie Palacios hit a two-run home run as the Rays built a 4-0 lead and hung on for their 10th win in 14 games.

“He was mixing it up, spotting it up,” Palacios said of Alexander. “That was awesome.”

Tampa Bay has won five of its past six series openers.

“Winning the first one definitely leaves a statement that we’re here to play good baseball,” Lowe said.

Alexander (2-2) 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 Palacios at second.

“He blooped it in perfectly,” Lowe said.