Meadows had an RBI single and Ji-Man Choi hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-2 in the seventh.

Teoscar Hernández and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered for Toronto. Gurriel’s two-run shot in the eighth made it 5-4, but Tampa Bay held on.

“They have a pretty good team,” Hernández said. “The pitching staff they have is pretty awesome and the position players always try to do something to do damage to the other team. They play really, really hard. They put the little things together to win ballgames.”

Toronto went ahead 2-0 in the fourth when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit an opposite-field triple and scored on a single by Travis Shaw. Fleming was able to work out of a bases-loaded, one-out situation later in the inning.

“Very happy for him,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “The poise that he showed in the big inning when they had a bunch of guys on and only one guy came in, pretty impressive.”

Thornton was making his second start in four days after being out two weeks with the same elbow issue. He recorded two outs and gave up six runs Thursday against Philadelphia.

Cash was ejected in the sixth for arguing a check-swing call.

Rays: RHP Nick Anderson (right forearm inflammation) went on the 10-day injured list, becoming the eighth Tampa Bay pitcher on the IL. “You always expect some injuries, they’re going to occur,” Cash said. “I think we all knew that they were going to be elevated this season in particular. But no doubt this is a little head scratching. ”