Rays bury Blue Jays with late HRs
TORONTO -- The Tampa Bay Rays hit three home runs in a four-run eighth inning capped by a two-run blast by Logan Morrison to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-4 on Friday night.
Corey Dickerson and Evan Longoria also homered for Tampa Bay (12-12) in the eighth and Derek Norris added a homer in the ninth.
Kevin Pillar had four hits, including a homer, for the Blue Jays (6-17), who have lost three in a row.
Dickerson led off the top of the eighth with his sixth homer on the first pitch from Toronto starter Marcus Stroman.
Jason Grilli (1-3) replaced Stroman with one out in the eighth and gave up Longoria's fourth homer to tie the game at 3. After Brad Miller walked, Dominic Leone replaced Grilli with two out and gave up Morrison's fifth homer. Beckham followed with a triple before Leone got the final out.
Leone allowed the first homer of the season by Norris to lead off the top of the ninth. The Rays added another run on a double by Dickerson, an error by Toronto second baseman Devon Travis and a wild pitch by J.P. Howell.
Rays starter Blake Snell allowed six hits, three walks and two runs in five innings. The left-hander struck out three before Austin Pruitt (3-0) replaced him and allowed three hits and a run in three innings to earn the win.
Stroman allowed five hits, two walks and two runs and had nine strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings.
Pillar led off the bottom of the seventh with his fourth homer on an 0-1 pitch from Pruitt to give Toronto a 3-1 lead.
Jumbo Diaz pitched the ninth for the Rays, allowing Pillar's leadoff double and a single by pinch hitter Chris Coghlan before Jose Bautista hit a sacrifice fly.
Chase Whitley replaced Diaz and picked up his first save of the season.
Norris hit an RBI single in the second to give the Rays a 1-0 lead. The blooper just beyond shortstop scored Tim Beckham, who had walked with two out and advanced to third on Shane Peterson's single.
Snell walked Pillar and Darwin Barney to start the bottom of the third but escaped despite allowing two hard-hit balls. Bautista's bid for extra bases was hauled in at the wall by right fielder Steven Souza Jr., and Kendrys Morales lined out to center. Justin Smoak grounded out to shortstop to end the inning.
The Blue Jays took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth. Pillar started the rally with a double to left and scored on Barney's single to right. Bautista singled to put runners and the corners. Barney scored when Morales grounded to shortstop to start a double play.
NOTES: Toronto designated C Jarrod Saltalamacchia for assignment and selected the contract of C Luke Maile from Triple-A Buffalo. Toronto claimed Maile off waivers from Tampa Bay on April 6 and he started Friday against the Rays. Saltalamacchia batted .040 (1-for-25) in 10 games. Maile batted .195 (8-for-41) in 12 games at Buffalo. ... Blue Jays RHP Casey Lawrence was optioned to Buffalo Friday and LHP Matt Dermody was recalled from the Bisons. Lawrence is 0-3 with an 8.78 ERA in four games (two starts) with Toronto. ... Toronto RHP Aaron Sanchez (blister right middle finger) will be activated from the DL to start Sunday against Tampa Bay. ... The Rays activated OF Mallex Smith (strained right hamstring) from the disabled list Thursday and optioned him to Triple-A Durham. ... RHP Matt Andriese (1-0, 3.86 ERA) will start the game Saturday afternoon for the Rays against Blue Jays LHP Francisco Liriano (1-2, 4.58 ERA).