Austin Meadows knocked in the go-ahead run with a double, one of his three two-base hits in the game.
“It feels pretty good to win, really good,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash, whose team had been outscored 42-17 in its previous five games.
When Franco and Meadows helped the Rays take a 2-1 advantage in the sixth and reliever Collin McHugh held the Jays scoreless, the moment couldn’t be overstated.
“I wanted to keep the tempo up and stay aggressive,” said Yarbrough, who struck out five and walked none.
It was another outstanding outing for McHugh, who struck out six over three innings and faced nine batters .
“Obviously, it’s easier to play from ahead than behind,” McHugh said.
Meadows wasn’t in Saturday’s lineup, giving him a day off his feet, then started in the five hole against tough left-hander Robbie Ray .
It began on a down note when Randy Arozarena walked, then was thrown out trying to steal.
1-ranked overall prospect and a sage veteran of 11 major-league games, was slumping after his first week.
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