Blue Jays 5, Rays 1
Brandon Morrow struck out nine in his second consecutive dominant
performance as the visiting Toronto Blue Jays dimmed the playoff hopes
of the Tampa Bay Rays with a 5-1 victory on Friday night.
Morrow (11-11) allowed two hits in seven shutout innings to run his
scoreless streak to 15 and match his career high in victories.
Kelly Johnson homered and had an RBI single to send Tampa Bay to its
fourth loss in five games and drop the Rays 2 1/2 games behind AL East
wild-card leader Boston. The Red Sox were rained out at New York.
Rays ace David Price (12-13) committed a pair of crucial errors in a
three-run third inning and allowed a season high-tying five runs in six
innings to fall to 9-2 lifetime against Toronto.
Price's wild throw home on Eric Thames' comebacker allowed two runs to
score and kept him winless since he beat the Blue Jays on Aug. 28,
striking out 14 in seven scoreless innings.
Johnson's homer off Price in the sixth was his first since Sept. 1 and gave him four two-hit games in his last five.
Matt Joyce's two-out single in the ninth brought home Johnny Damon with the Rays' only run.