Rowdy Tellez hits two-run blast as Blue Jays down Tampa Bay Rays
TORONTO — Rowdy Tellez’s tworun home run in the fourth inning helped the Toronto Blue Jays to a 5-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.
Tellez added an RBI double in the eighth, finishing three for four with three RBI as the Blue Jays (71-84) won for the sixth time in eight outings and improved to 4-5 at home against the Rays this season.
Toronto starter Thomas Pannone (4-1) allowed two earned runs on six hits while striking out five and walking three over 62⁄3 innings of work to improve to 3-0 in his last three outings.
Ken Giles pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 24th save of the season.
Tommy Pham and Jesus Sucre each hit solo home runs for the Rays (86-68) who entered Saturday’s action 61⁄2 games behind Oakland in the race for the American League’s second wildcard spot. The loss drops the Rays to 15-5 in September.
Rays starter Tyler Glasnow (2-7) surrendered three earned runs on six hits in six innings of work while striking out six and walking two in the loss.
Trailing 1-0, Tellez responded for the Blue Jays in the fourth putting Glasnow’s 3-1 pitch into the seats over the right-field wall for a two-run home run, his third of the season. With the hit, Tellez set a franchise record for the most extra-base hits (11) through his first 16 big league games.
Two batters later, Reese McGuire doubled to right field scoring Kevin Pillar from first to give Toronto a 3-1 lead.
Pham opened the scoring in the third, putting Pannone’s 0-1 pitch over the left-field wall for his 20th home run of the season.
Sucre pulled the Rays to within one in the seventh with a solo home run, his first of the season. Then with one on and Ryan Tepera on in relief of Pannone, Mallex Smith stole second to get into scoring position and Pham walked, but Tepera got Matt Duffy swinging to end the threat.
Tellez added to the Blue Jays lead in the eighth with a double to plate Randal Grichuk. Aledmys Diaz followed up with an RBI single, scoring Anthony Alford who was pinch-running for Tellez giving the Blue Jays a 5-2 lead.
Attendance for Saturday’s game was 27,648.