ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Michael Saunders hit two home runs and Aaron Sanchez pitched seven scoreless innings to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 6-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Friday.

Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson and second baseman Ryan Goins hit solo home runs while first baseman Justin Smoak had a two-run single as Toronto won the opener of a three-game series.

Rays shortstop Brad Miller had a home run and starter Drew Smyly struck out eight over six innings to tie the team record for strikeouts in April.

Sanchez gave up six hits and struck out six on 103 pitches (71 strikes).

Saunders' second homer -- his fourth of the season -- was part of a three-run eighth inning for the Blue Jays that put the game out of reach. Saunders took a 2-2 pitch to right field over the 370-foot wall off Rays reliever Dana Eveland. Smoak added a bases-loaded single to score Donaldson and right fielder Jose Bautista to give Toronto a 5-0 lead.

Miller hit his second home run of the season off Drew Storen in the bottom of the eighth to make it 5-1.

Goins hit his first home run of the season off Rays right hander Jhan Marinez in the top of the ninth.

Saunders belted a 2-0 pitch from Rays starter Drew Smyly over the center-field wall to give Toronto a 1-0 lead in the third inning.

Logan Forsythe had a single and double in his first two at-bats for the Rays, but Sanchez pitched well against the rest of the lineup.

Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash was ejected in the top of the fifth inning for arguing with the home plate umpire.

NOTES: The Blue Jays had struck out 217 times heading into Friday, the second-highest total in the major leagues. "There's no doubt we're striking out way too much," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "We're gonna strike out. Everybody does, but we're coming into three games, these guys (Rays) strike out a lot of guys at it is." ... The Rays are 2-for-26 with runners in scoring position in the first four contests of their eight-game homestand. ... Blue Jays C Russell Martin has a sore neck but started Friday. Gibbons said Martin doesn't feel great, but he will be able to play through it. ... Rays LHP Drew Smyly tied the team record for strikeouts in April (33) set by David Price in 2014.