The Sports Xchange
Aug 15, 2017
TORONTO -- Lucas Duda hit a two-run homer, Wilson Ramos hit a solo shot, and Blake Snell won for the first time in nearly a year as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 6-4 on Tuesday.
Snell (1-6) allowed seven hits, one walk and four runs while striking out four in six innings. The left-hander had not won in the majors since Sept. 22, a span of 16 winless starts.
Alex Colome earned his 35th save with a perfect ninth, striking out two.
The Rays (60-61) ended four-game losing streak as the teams split the first two games of a four-game series.
Josh Donaldson hit a three-run homer for the Blue Jays (57-62), who had a three-game winning string stopped.
Marco Estrada (5-8) allowed 10 hits, four walks and six runs in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out three.
The Blue Jays scored a run in the second inning when Steve Pearce singled and came home on a double by Kevin Pillar that took a big bounce over right fielder Steven Souza Jr.
Duda hit his 21st homer of the season -- his fourth since joining the Rays in a trade with the New York Mets on June 27 -- two batters after Daniel Robertson singled in the third to put the Rays into a 2-1 lead.
Ramos led off the fourth with his fifth homer of the season, his second of the series. Adeiny Hechavarria blooped a double down the right field line that fell among three fielders and scored on Corey Dickerson's single to give the Rays a 4-1 lead.
Tampa Bay built its lead to 6-1 in the fifth on singles by Logan Morrison, Souza and Ramos, a fly ball that center fielder Pillar lost in the twilight, and bases-loaded walks to Hechavarria and Robertson.
Matt Dermody replaced Estrada to get the final two outs of the inning.
The Blue Jays scored three on Donaldson's 18th homer in the bottom of the fifth. The blast also scored Darwin Barney, who singled with one out, and Jose Bautista, who followed with a double.
NOTES: Rays OF Steven Souza Jr. has 25 homers this season, all against right-handed pitchers. He went 2-for-4 with a double Tuesday. ... Toronto 3B Josh Donaldson hit his ninth first-inning homer of the season on Monday. ... Toronto RHP Nick Tepesch earned the win Monday without striking out a batter in six-plus innings. It was the first time a Blue Jays starter had won without a strikeout while pitching at least six innings since RHP R.A. Dickey did it on May 14, 2015, against the New York Yankees. ... Rays RHP Jake Faria (5-3, 3.19 ERA) opposes Blue Jays RHP Marcus Stroman (10-6, 3.00 ERA) on Wednesday.