Search:
StoriesVideos
Home MLB 

Story

MLB


Rios And Scutaro Homer To Help Jays Avoid Sweep

Sunday, July 20, 2008

(Sports Network) - Alex Rios and Marco Scutaro each homered and drove in three runs to help the Toronto Blue Jays avoid a three- game sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays with a 9-4 victory.

The Blue Jays bullpen combined to allow a mere two hits and two walks over six shutout innings in relief of John Parrish, who surrendered four runs on four hits while walking two in his three-inning start. Shawn Camp (3-1) took the win after tossing 1 2/3 scoreless frames.

Adam Lind drove in a pair of runs, while Scott Rolen went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a pair of walks for Toronto, which had lost three of its previous four.

Evan Longoria and Carlos Pena recorded back-to-back solo home runs for Tampa, which took the first two games of the series after losing seven straight games. Edwin Jackson (5-7) was belted for six runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings of work to take the loss.

"I gave them mistakes and they made me pay," Jackson said. "The mistake balls were just right down the middle. They're paid to hit mistakes and they did their job today."

Trailing 4-3, Toronto took the lead for good in the fifth when John McDonald and Joe Inglett reached on base hits before Scutaro slammed a shot over the left field wall for his fourth homer of the year.

The Jays extended the lead to five with a three-spot in the seventh. Rios doubled home Scutaro, who walked to open the frame. The two-bagger ended Jason Hammel's relief effort, and Trever Miller forced in a run after walking three straight hitters. Lind flied out deep to left to bring home the game's final run.

The Jays' Jesse Carlson and Brian Wolfe tossed a perfect seventh and eighth inning, respectively, and B.J. Ryan set down the Rays in order in the ninth to finish off a terrific bullpen effort.

A Lyle Overbay single and Rolen walk set the table in the second inning for Lind, who lofted a base hit to center to put the Jays ahead, 1-0.

Jonny Gomes followed Shawn Riggans' two-out walk in the bottom of the inning with a double. Parrish lost control of a pitch and Riggans sprinted home to tie the score.

Rios pounced on a Jackson fastball in the third stanza, lining a two-run shot to left for a 3-1 Toronto edge.

"It's always good when you do things to help the team win so I guess I felt pretty good overall," said Rios, who snapped his homerless streak at 71 at- bats.

A pair of miscues and two swings of the bat cost Toronto in the home half. With a runner on first, McDonald rushed a throw to double-up the speedy B.J. Upton after Parrish snagged his comebacker to the mound. The errant throw moved Upton to second, and Parrish tossed a pick off attempt into center field to push Upton up another 90 feet.

Carl Crawford followed with a run-scoring ground out to first, and Longoria and Pena answered with back-to-back long balls to take a 4-3 lead.

Rios kept it a one-run game in the fourth by throwing out Gomes at the plate on Ben Zobrist's fly ball. Gomes beat the throw, but Gregg Zaun blocked home and tug out the runner to end the inning.

"I thought the catcher did a good job of blocking the plate, but I thought Jon kicked his foot away," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.

Game Notes

Tampa is still a solid 38-15 at home this year, winning seven of their last nine games at Tropicana Field...Jackson had allowed just two earned runs in his two previous July starts...The Rays have won seven of nine games against the Blue Jays this year...Before the game, Tampa Bay activated closer Troy Percival from the 15-day disabled list and placed pitcher Gary Glover on the 15-day DL...On Monday, the Rays host the Oakland A's to begin a three-game series, and the Jays head to Baltimore to start a four-game set...Tampa went hitless in eight at-bats with runners in scoring position.

Sports E-News

Find out the characteristics of Alzheimer's disease, and learn how doctors distinguish this progressive form of dementia from others. Full Story ››


Decorating your home for Christmas should be fun and enjoyable. Learn how to keep it that way and avoid the holiday stress. Full Story ››

Find out what a sputtering economy and an increasingly difficult to crack job market means to you. Full Story ››

A little healthy competition between partners is fine, even healthy. But cross the line and you could doom your relationship. Full Story ››

Don’t be left out. Make the switch to Digital TV.

Market Place

Sponsor Links