Rays 4, Blue Jays 3: Rookie Wil Myers recorded two hits and two RBIs while Desmond Jennings was 3-for-4 with two runs scored as visiting Tampa Bay held on for its 16th victory in 18 games.
Ben Zobrist also had a pair of hits and Evan Longoria knocked in a run for the Rays, who have taken the first two games of the series. Tampa Bay starter Jeremy Hellickson (9-3) allowed two runs over five innings to win his fifth consecutive decision and Fernando Rodney allowed an unearned run in the ninth before earning his 23rd save.
Jose Bautista belted his 22nd homer and Jose Reyes registered two hits for the Blue Jays, who had two on base before Adam Lind flied out to end the game. Toronto starter Mark Buehrle (5-7) went seven innings, yielding four runs (three earned) and 10 hits to suffer the defeat.
Jennings walked to lead off the first and scored on Myers’ sacrifice fly to right field. Tampa Bay stretched the margin to 4-0 in the third on a fielder’s choice by Longoria, Myers’ RBI single and a throwing error by Toronto second baseman Brett Lawrie.
Bautista trimmed the deficit with a two-out, solo blast to left in the bottom of the third and Edwin Encarnacion’s RBI groundout brought the Blue Jays within 4-2 in the fifth. Tampa Bay reliever Joel Peralta walked the first batter he faced to load the bases in the eighth, but retired the next three – two on strikeouts – to preserve the two-run lead.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Rays SS Yunel Escobar sat out his second straight game with a strained right hamstring and will likely be out until Monday at Boston. … Toronto CF Colby Rasmus, who came into the contest 14-for-32 during an eight-game hitting streak, was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. … Tampa Bay DH Luke Scott singled in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.
Tampa Bay | Toronto | |
Jeremy Hellickson | Player | Mark Buehrle |
Win | W/L | Loss |
5.0 | IP | 7.0 |
3 | Strikeouts | 5 |
5 | Hits | 10 |
3.60 | ERA | 3.86 |
Tampa Bay | Toronto | |
Desmond Jennings | Player | Jose Bautista |
3 | Hits | 2 |
0 | RBI | 1 |
0 | HR | 1 |
3 | TB | 5 |
.750 | Avg | .500 |