Bauers, Rays topple Blue Jays 8-4

Jake Bauers hit his first career homer, a go-ahead, two-run blast in the fourth, left-hander Ryan Yarbrough pitched six innings, and the Tampa Bay Rays snapped the visiting Toronto Blue Jays' four-game winning streak with an 8-4 victory Monday night.

The rookie first baseman also had a double, two walks and three runs.

Yarbrough (5-2) allowed four runs, seven hits and one walk while striking out four in the opener of a three-game series.

Toronto starter Sam Gaviglio (2-2) allowed five runs, seven hits and two walks in 3 1/3 innings. The right-hander struck out three.

Teoscar Hernandez hit a two-run homer for the Blue Jays.

Each team scored a run in the first inning.

Toronto got a double by Yangervis Solarte and a single by Kendrys Morales. Tampa Bay scored on a single by Matt Duffy, a double by Bauers, a hit batsman (C.J. Cron) that loaded the bases and a sacrifice fly by Joey Wendle.

The Blue Jays took a 3-1 lead in the third when Devon Travis singled before Hernandez hit his 11th homer of the season.

The Rays tied the game in the bottom of the third. Bauers took a leadoff walk, Wendle singled with two outs and Willy Adames and Mallex Smith followed with RBI singles.

The Blue Jays regained the lead with a run in the fourth. Morales doubled, took third on Russell Martin's single and scored on Randal Grichuk's RBI single.

The Rays took a 5-4 lead in the fourth on a single by Duffy and a homer by Bauers. Danny Barnes then replaced Gaviglio.

Diego Castillo took over for Yarbrough in the seventh and pitched around a single.

The Rays scored three runs in the bottom or the seventh after loading the bases with no outs against John Axford. Bauers walked, Wilson Ramos singled and Cron was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. Axford bobbled a comebacker by Wendle and threw wildly home as two runs scored.

Seunghwan Oh replaced Axford and allowed a sacrifice fly to Adames.

Tampa Bay's Johnny Venters pitched around a walk in the eighth.

Sergio Romo pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts.

--Field Level Media