B.J. Upton halted an 0-for-18 slide with the decisive three-run homer in the seventh inning as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the host Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 on Saturday afternoon.

With the Rays clinging to a one-run advantage, Upton provided the necessary insurance with a blast to deep left field off reliever Jesse Litsch. It was the 18th homer of the season for Upton, who was reportedly claimed off waivers by an unidentified team earlier this week.

Toronto made it interesting – closing to within a run on eighth-inning solo homers by Eric Thames and Edwin Encarnacion – but couldn't bring home the tying run as it dropped its third straight game and fell back to the .500 mark for the year.

Upton's heroics made a winner out of Jeff Niemann (9-5), who improved to 8-1 in his last nine decisions with 6 1/3 innings of three-run, five-hit ball. Niemann walked two and struck out six.

Joel Peralta worked the ninth inning for his second save of the campaign.

Shawn Camp (1-3) absorbed the loss after allowing a run on two hits in an inning of work. Toronto starter Luis Perez lasted just five innings, charged with two runs on four hits in his second career major league start.

Sean Rodriguez, starting at first base in place of Casey Kotchman (flu-like symptoms), had three hits and drove in a pair of runs for Tampa Bay.

The Rays moved to within seven games of the Yankees in the American League wild card race.