Jose Bautista hit his major league-leading 43rd home-run during Toronto's 10-run sixth inning as the Blue Jays went on to crush the Tampa Bay Rays 13-5 Tuesday night.

Bautista's two-run shot to left field moved him to within four homers of equaling George Bell's single-season franchise record set in 1987. Bautista has five home runs in his last nine games, and 19 in 43 games since the All-Star break.

Aaron Hill also had a two-run homer in the Jays' biggest inning of the season. Vernon Wells had a two-run double, while Adam Lind and John Buck added run-scoring two-base hits.

Jays hurler Ricky Romero (11-8) earned the victory despite allowing five runs over 7 1/3 innings. He walked five and struck out five to earn his first win in three starts.

Jeff Niemann (10-5) was torched for seven runs on seven hits in five-plus innings. The 6-foot-9 right-hander has surrendered 17 runs in 8 1/3 innings since returning from the 15-day disabled list.

Reid Brignac and Dan Johnson each drove in a pair of runs for the Rays, who fell a game behind the Yankees in the American League East Race. Tuesday marked just their sixth loss in their last 28 home meetings with Toronto.