TORONTO — Adam Lind hit a two-run
homer off Rafael Soriano in the ninth inning Sunday, giving the Toronto
Blue Jays a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
With Toronto trailing 4-3, Aaron Hill
led off the ninth with a single off Soriano (2-2), who had converted his
previous 19 save chances since July 20. After falling behind 0-2, in
the count, Lind lined his 22nd home run of the season to right field,
ending the Blue Jays' four-game losing streak.
Tampa Bay, which began the day a
half-game behind the AL East-leading New York Yankees, outhit the Blue
Jays 8-5 but lost for the second time in five games, It was the third
blown save in 45 chances for Soriano.
B.J. Upton's ninth-inning sacrifice
fly off Kevin Gregg (2-5) had put Tampa Bay ahead following Brad Hawpe's
one-out walk and Desmond Jennings' hit-and-run single.
Rays starter Jeff Niemann allowed
three runs, two hits and four walks in five innings. He is 0-3 with a
15.60 ERA in four starts since missing 20 games in August because of a
strained right shoulder.
Toronto's Shawn Marcum gave up three runs and six hits in six innings.
Held hitless through the first three innings, the Rays went ahead in the fourth on doubles by Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist.
Toronto took a 3-1 lead in the bottom
half after loading the bases. Hill hit a bouncer toward the mound and
Niemann's flip to catcher Dioner Navarro sailed high as two runs scored,
and John Buck had a sacrifice fly.
Zobrist had an RBI double in the sixth and Marcum threw a run-scoring wild pitch.
Notes
Toronto RHP Kyle Drabek will
be promoted from Double-A New Hampshire on Wednesday to make his major
league debut against Baltimore. Drabek, who went 14-9 this season, is a
son of former NL Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek. … Rays 1B Carlos
Pena was held out of the starting lineup. … Tampa Bay leads the majors
with 159 stolen bases.