Designated hitter Brandon Lowe smacked a two-run homer in the fifth inning to help the Tampa Bay Rays take a series-opening 4-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.
Trailing 3-0, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Justin Turner began the sixth inning with back-to-back homers off reliever Manuel Rodriguez.
It was Guerrero’s team-leading 17th and fourth homer in his last five games. Turner went three for four.
But the bats for the home side went silent in the final three innings with nine straight outs before 38,575 at Rogers Centre.
The defeat was the Blue Jays’ (45-55) third in four starts since the all-star break, while the Rays (51-50) have won six of their last nine outings.
Rays outfielder Justin Lowe singled home Randy Arozarena in the second after the latter led off the inning with a walk and stole second to get himself in scoring position for a 1-0 Rays advantage.
Another walk came back to haunt Toronto starter Jose Berrios (8-8) when he issued a leadoff free pass to Richie Palacios. Brandon Lowe then clubbed a one-out, first-pitch line-drive into the right-field seats for his 11th homer.
Berrios was not sharp. He struck out five and gave up three hits in his 4 2/3 innings but tied a career-high with six walks. This outing came on the heels of Berrios issuing four walks in each of his two outings before the All-Star break.
Berrios walked three batters in the third inning to load the bases but got Lowe to fly out to centre on a leaping catch against the wall by Blue Jays centre-fielder Daulton Varsho.
Shawn Armstrong opened the game on the mound for the Rays. He went two innings, giving up a single and a walk but striking out four.
Tyler Alexander (3-3) tossed three shutout innings with three strikeouts and gave up three hits. Pete Fairbanks pitched the ninth for his 19th save.
The Rays stole second three times on catcher Alejandro Kirk.
In the seventh inning, Taylor Walls walked and then stole second. He advanced to third on an infield hit from Palacios that Guerrero failed to field cleanly.
Walls then scored when Isaac Paredes hit into a double play.
ON DECK
Yariel Rodriguez (1-3) will start for the Blue Jays in the middle game of the three-game set against Tampa on Wednesday. The Rays will counter with righty Zach Eflin (5-7).
