Rays 3, Blue Jays 0: David Price pitched eight-plus dominant innings to win his fourth straight start as Tampa Bay defeated visiting Toronto in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Price (9-7) allowed five hits and struck out five while improving to 15-2 in his career against the Blue Jays, and Jake McGee got the final three outs for his seventh save. Logan Forsythe, Jose Molina and Evan Longoria each had an RBI for the Rays, who extended their unbeaten streak in home series against Toronto to 22 (20-0-2).
Toronto starter R.A. Dickey (7-9) yielded a pair of runs on five hits and three walks with five strikeouts over six innings to lose for the fifth time in six starts. Juan Francisco recorded two singles and was hit by a pitch in three plate appearances for the Blue Jays, who finished their road trip 2-8.
Yunel Escobar singled with two outs in the second inning, moved up when Molina was hit by a pitch and sprinted home on Forsythe’s single to open the scoring. The Rays loaded the bases with one out in their next at-bat, but Dickey struck out Brandon Guyer and retired Escobar on a fly ball to end the threat.
Molina’s two-out RBI single increased Tampa Bay’s lead in the sixth when Escobar was ruled to be safe at the plate after video review overturned the call. Kevin Kiermaier singled and Ben Zobrist walked before both moved up on a double steal in the seventh and Longoria delivered a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Rays have won 20 of their last 31 games, dating back to a victory over St. Louis on June 11 that came after they were shut out in three straight. … Toronto SS Jose Reyes extended his hitting streak to nine games with a leadoff single in the sixth. … Tampa Bay optioned RHP Jeremy Hellickson to Double-A Montgomery and he is scheduled to start with the Biscuits on Monday, making room for McGee’s return to the Rays from the paternity list.
Toronto | Tampa Bay | |
R.A. Dickey | Player | David Price |
Loss | W/L | Win |
6.0 | IP | 8.0 |
5 | Strikeouts | 5 |
5 | Hits | 5 |
3.00 | ERA | 0.00 |
Toronto | Tampa Bay | |
Juan Francisco | Player | Logan Forsythe |
2 | Hits | 1 |
0 | RBI | 1 |
0 | HR | 0 |
2 | TB | 1 |
1.000 | Avg | .333 |