Goins has big hit before leaving with injury in Blue Jays win

TORONTO — Ryan Goins drove in the eventual winning run before leaving the game with an injury and the Toronto Blue Jays held on to beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 3-2, in American League baseball action Wednesday night at Rogers Centre.

Goins hit a single up the middle to score Steve Pearce from third base in the bottom of the sixth inning for his 45th RBI of the season.

He had to leave the game shortly after when Daniel Robertson stepped on his left forearm as he was trying to steal second.

Pearce hit a solo homer, one of his two hits on the night, and Jose Bautista drove in a run for the Blue Jays (58-62). Josh Donaldson also had two hits.

Marcus Stroman (11-6) went 6 1/3 innings, giving up two runs and six hits while walking three and striking out seven.

Roberto Osuna worked the ninth for his 31st save.

Brad Miller had an RBI groundout for the Rays (60-62) and pinch-hitter Steven Souza Jr. picked up an RBI on a walk.

Rookie Jacob Faria (5-4) allowed three runs on six hits, walked two and struck out two over 5 1/3 innings.

Toronto began Wednesday’s contest four games out of a wild-card spot.

The Rays were two games back. Catcher Raffy Lopez scored the game’s first run, coming in from first base on a Bautista double in the third inning.

Faria followed that by hitting Donaldson in the back with a pitch and the Toronto third baseman glared at the mound, throwing his elbow pad on the ground as he walked to first base.

Faria escaped further damage with a popout and strikeout.

Pearce extended the lead to 2-0 an inning later though, sending a first-pitch offering from Faria over the right-field wall for his 12th home run.

The Rays replied in the top of the fourth. Mallex Smith led off with a double, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on another groundout from Miller.

Goins restored Toronto’s two-run cushion in the sixth, cashing in Pearce from third base with a single.

Stroman put himself in a jam in the seventh, walking two to load the bases with one out.

Left-hander Aaron Loup walked in a run before being replaced by Dominic Leone, who got a strikeout and pop fly to end the inning.

Manager John Gibbons exchanged words with home plate umpire Lance Barksdale as he was making his pitching change and was ejected from the game. NOTES: Gibbons’s ejection was his fifth of the year . ... Toronto designated lefthanded reliever J.P. Howell and catcher Mike Ohlman for assignment before the game and activated C Miguel Montero from the disabled list and Leone from the bereavement list . ... Attendance was 36,784.