Rays go long to thump Jays

Tampa Bay’s Pena ends slump with three- run homer in fourth inning

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Slumping Carlos Pena hit a three- run homer during a fiverun fourth and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays 8- 5 on Tuesday.

Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon moved Pena up from the middle of the lineup to the leadoff spot to help him break out of an offensive funk.

Pena, who snapped an 0- for18 slide with his sixth homer of the season, entered Tuesday hitting just .116 in May.

Pena’s homer to centre was off Drew Hutchison ( 3- 2). He finished with two hits.

Drew Sutton had an RBI double and Chris Gimenez hit a run- scoring grounder as the Rays took a 6- 0 lead in the fourth. Gimenez also had a fifth- inning RBI single.

Reliever Wade Davis ( 1- 0) gave up one run in two innings. Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

Rays starter Matt Moore walked three in the fifth and couldn’t get through the inning as the Blue Jays scored four times to get within 6- 4.

Jose Bautista drove in two with a bases- loaded single and two more runs scored when third baseman Sean Rodriguez was charged with an error for an errant throw to first on Edwin Encarnacion’s grounder.

Moore allowed four runs, three hits and four walks in 4 2/ 3 innings. Hutchison lasted four innings, giving up six runs and seven hits.

Reliever Wade Davis ( 1- 0) gave up one run in two innings. Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his 14th save.

STEVE NESIUS/ REUTERS Rays’ Drew Sutton ( right) scores as Blue Jays catcher J. P. Arencibia bobbles a throw from third baseman Brett Lawrie during Tuesday’s game in St. Petersburg, Fla.