TORONTO -- Chris Archer did what aces are supposed to do on Sunday, coming through with a big-time bounce-back performance that should have brought a win.
Instead, the Blue Jays took a 3-1 win at Rogers Centre to take the weekend series against the Rays.
"It was good, but not good enough to win," said Archer of his performance.
Archer's always had the stuff. The results just haven't always matched the magic. Sunday brought a nice harmony between the two.
"Archer was outstanding," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "...I couldn't be happier, more impressed, the way Archer threw the ball."
Monday, the Rays' right-hander suffered his first loss since Sept. 23 after allowing three home runs during the span of five batters faced against the Orioles. The reason had nothing to do with stuff -- rather, it was poor location that plagued Archer.
On Sunday, he looked in total control. After seven scoreless frames, Archer walked the leadoff batter in the eighth, and departed the game with one out and a runner at second base. Alex Colome could not hold the Blue Jays at bay, and the Blue Jays scored three times.
Archer was charged with the tying run, giving him a line that read one run on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings to earn a disappointing no-decision.
Cash credited Archer's ability to establish his fastball command, and his strike-throwing as the keys.
"Look, his first three innings, he was just pumping strikes," Cash said. "When he does that, and he shows the opposing lineup that he's going to come after you with a bunch of strikes, it puts them a little more on the defense. When you need guys to expand, they're going to expand."
Archer's biggest test came in the sixth, when Jose Bautista singled with one out and Kendrys Morales followed with a ground-rule double to right to put runners at second and third. Archer then proceeded to strike out Justin Smoak swinging at a slider before retiring Russell Martin on a soft groundout to second to end the threat.
"It was big," said Archer of the Smoak strikeout. "They had quality at-bats all night. They've been playing great defense behind me. In that situation it was my turn to get the job done, and fortunately, I did. Later in the game, I wish I could have been a little better. But in that moment, I did my job."
When asked what he did, if anything, to not miss locations as he did in the Baltimore game, Archer noted: "The conditions today were much more desirable than last game. That's all I'll say."
The Baltimore game was played in bad weather.
Archer allowed that a tough loss like Sunday does test a team.
"But if we continue to play good baseball, get the guys healthy, and situationally do the right things, I think we'll be OK," Archer said.