Rays ride four homers to rout of Blue Jays
TORONTO -- Curt Casali hit a three-run homer, Steve Pearce and Tim Beckham hit two-run shots, Desmond Jennings hit a solo blast and the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 13-2 Monday night.
Jennings, Casali and Pearce each had three RBIs, and Steven Souza Jr. had three hits and one RBI for the Rays who handed the Blue Jays their third straight loss in the opener of a three-game series.
Tampa Bay left-hander Drew Smyly (2-4) allowed four hits, four walks and one run while striking out six over five innings. The left-hander earned his first win since April 24.
Toronto left-hander J.A. Happ (5-1) allowed seven hits, one walk and eight runs in two-plus innings.
Happ entered the game having pitched 14 2/3 scoreless innings. He had not allowed more than three earned runs in his previous 17 starts dating to Aug. 14.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was ejected in the fourth inning for arguing balls and strikes. It was his third ejection of the season and his second in two games.
The Rays outhit the Blue Jays 17-8.
Tampa Bay shortstop/outfielder Taylor Motter, making his major league debut, hit an infield single for his first career hit with one out in the first, and he scored on the sixth homer of the season by Pearce.
The Blue Jays loaded the bases in the first on three two-out walks, but Smyly struck out Troy Tulowitzki.
The Rays added three runs in the second. Jennings led off with a single, took third on Casali's double and scored on Kevin Kiermaier's sacrifice fly to center. Beckham followed with a home run to center, his first of the season, and Tampa Bay led 5-0.
The Rays (17-19) scored four in the third. Evan Longoria singled and continued to second on an error by left fielder Michael Saunders. Pearce walked, and Souza chased Happ with an RBI single.
Right-hander Dustin Antolin, called up from Triple-A Buffalo on Sunday, made his major league debut. He retired Jennings on a liner to third, then gave up Casali's fifth homer of the season to increase the lead to 9-0.
Antolin walked Longoria with one out in the fourth and allowed a two-out single to Souza before Jennings hit a two-run double.
The Blue Jays (19-21) got on the board in the fifth. Darwin Barney singled and took third when Josh Donaldson ended a 0-for-17 slump with a double. Jose Bautista hit an RBI single to make the score 11-1.
After right-handers Joe Biagini and Drew Storen kept the Rays off the board for a combined three innings, left-hander Chad Girodo allowed an RBI single to Pearce in the eighth.
Rays right-handers Steve Geltz and Ryan Webb each pitched a runless inning before left-hander Dana Eveland allowed an RBI single to Edwin Encarnacion in the eighth.
Right-hander Jesse Chavez gave up the second homer of the season by Jennings in the ninth inning.
NOTES: Toronto claimed INF Jimmy Paredes off waivers Monday from the Baltimore Orioles. The 27-year-old appeared in 104 games for the Orioles last season, batting .275 with 17 doubles, 10 home runs and 42 RBIs. He was put on waivers at the end of a rehabilitation assignment (sprained wrist). The switch-hitter played in 18 minor league games on his rehab, collecting five doubles, two home runs and nine RBIs. ...Rays INF Taylor Motter, 26, who was called up from Triple-A Durham on Sunday, made his major league debut Monday, playing shortstop and batting second. ...Rays RHP Chris Archer (2-4, 4.57 ERA) will face Blue Jays RHP Marcus Stroman (4-0, 3.54 ERA) in the second game of the three-game series on Tuesday.