The Sports Xchange
Jun 13, 2017
TORONTO -- Logan Morrison hit a three-run homer, Corey Dickerson had a home run among his four hits and Jacob Faria pitched effectively into the seventh inning as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 8-1 on Tuesday night.
Taylor Featherston also homered for the Rays (35-32), who took the opener of a two-game set. The Rays lead the season series 6-5 against the Blue Jays (31-33) with eight games left.
Faria (2-0), making his second career start, allowed six hits, one walk and one run in 6 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out eight.
Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada (4-5) allowed 12 hits, including two home runs, and six runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Dickerson hit his 15th homer of the season to lead off the ninth against Aaron Loup, and Evan Longoria had two hits and two RBIs.
The Rays, who scored four runs in the third and two runs in the fourth, added to their lead in the seventh against Toronto reliever Jeff Beliveau.
Longoria walked, took third on a single by Morrison and scored on a sacrifice fly by Colby Rasmus, who had two hits to extend his hit streak to five games.
Daniel Robertson and Mallex Smith of the Rays also increased their respective hit streaks to five games each with singles.
Toronto's Russell Martin ended an 0-for-17 slump with a one-out double in the seventh and scored on the second single of the game by Ezequiel Carrera.
Austin Pruitt replaced Faria and retired the final two batters of the seventh inning and escaped a bases-loaded situation in the eighth after allowing two singles and a walk.
Pruitt also pitched a perfect ninth.
Featherston led off the third inning with his first home run of the season, a drive to right-center on a full count.
Dickerson and Longoria singled with one out in the third before Morrison hit a blast to center for his 18th home run of the season that thrust Tampa Bay into a 4-0 lead.
Steven Souza Jr. followed with a single and took third on a double by Rasmus. Estrada avoided further damage when Souza was out in a rundown between third and home on a grounder to shortstop by Robertson and Derek Norris flied out to center.
Dominic Leone replaced Estrada with one out in the fourth after singles by Smith and Dickerson. Longoria greeted Leone with a two-run double to bump the lead to 6-0.
NOTES: Toronto 2B Devon Travis (right knee) underwent arthroscopic surgery to clean up cartilage in his knee Tuesday and he is out indefinitely. He went on the disabled list June 6. ... Rays C Wilson Ramos (torn ACL) has moved to Triple-A Durham to continue his rehabilitation assignment after going 2-for-14 in five games with Class A Charlotte. He has been on the DL since April 2. ... Toronto INF/OF Steve Pearce (strained right calf) was moved to Triple-A Buffalo on his rehabilitation assignment after going 0-for-15 in four games at Double-A New Hampshire. He went on the DL May 15. ...Toronto LHP Francisco Liriano (3-2, 5.87 ERA) will oppose Tampa Bay RHP Jake Odorizzi (4-3, 3.59) on Wednesday in the finale of the two-game set.