Jays’ bats finally rise from their slumber

That spotty Blue Jays offence, never mind.

Back at the Rogers Centre on Monday night after managing just 17 runs during a seven- game swing through Houston and Kansas City, the Jays found their bats in a big way in the series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Devon Travis enjoyed the first four-hit game of his major-league career and started a three- run seventh for the Jays with an RBI single, a base hit that immediately was followed by a two- out, two-run double by Jose Bautista.

The outburst broke a 4- 4 tie and sent the Jays, who entered the night one game behind the American League East- leading Baltimore Orioles, to a 7-5 victory. The Orioles were scheduled to play late Monday night in Oakland against the Athletics.

The winning pitcher was reliever Joaquin Benoit (2-1), who pitched a scoreless seventh.

Jays starter R. A. Dickey lugged a 2- 8 home record in 2016 into the game and the knuckleballer was gone after giving up a two- run double to Brad Miller with one out in the fifth inning. It marked the second time in the game that Dickey was unable to hold on to a two- run lead and the Miller two- base hit tied the game 4-4.

Dickey gave up f our earned runs on six hits, walked three and struck out three.

Edwin Encarnacion’s solo home run in the first, the 299th homer of his career, was the 17 th consecutive solo shot recorded by the Jays, making them the first team since San Francisco in 2011 to hit 17 in a row.