Donaldson homer lifts Toronto past Tampa Bay in AL East battle

ST. PETERSBURG -- Jake Odorizzi became the third straight Tampa Bay starter to limit Toronto to two hits or fewer.

Still, the Rays lost two of the three games.

Marcus Stroman allowed one run in eight innings on his 25th birthday, Troy Tulowitzki hit a three-run homer during a four-run ninth and the Blue Jays beat the Rays 5-1 on Sunday.

Odorizzi gave up one run and two hits over seven innings. Since the beginning of the 2014 season, the right-hander has allowed one earned run or fewer in 21 of 34 starts at home.

"They are an aggressive team, they are a well-disciplined team around the plate," said Odorizzi, who got his fifth no-decision in six starts this season. "You have to be in the zone but make quality pitches in the zone and I thought I did that for the most part today."

Odorizzi had six strikeouts and two walks.

It was just their fourth series win in the last 27 trips to Tropicana Field for the Blue Jays.

The three Tampa Bay starters in the series -- Drew Smyly, Chris Archer and Odorizzi -- allowed a combined five hits in 19 innings. Four of the hits were homers.

those three pitchers down here you feel pretty good,"

Toronto manager John Gibbons said.

Toronto had 15 hits, including eight homers to become the first major league team to be held to 15 or fewer hits and hit eight or more homers in a three-game series.

Stroman (4-0) scattered three hits, walked two and struck out a career-high nine. The Blue Jays' opening-day starter is 8-0 in 10 starts since returning from knee surgery last year.

Pinch hitter Darwin Barney doubled and Michael Saunders walked to open the ninth against Xavier Cedeno (2-1). Alex Colome entered and walked Josh Donaldson before striking out Jose Bautista.

After Edwin Encarnacion hit a tiebreaking RBI grounder, Tulowitzki made it 5-1 on his fifth homer.

"They made a good move to bring in Barney," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "He gets a big hit and you have that feeling, know that those guys coming up get paid to drive in runs. They capitalized and got the big hits."

Donaldson's ninth homer with one out in the fourth was the Blue Jays' first hit and put Toronto up 1-0.

Evan Longoria tied it at 1 in the sixth on his fifth homer and second in as many days. He struck out in the third with two on and one out, and is 1 for 14 this season with runners in scoring position and less than two outs. Longoria is 6 for 12 with two homers off Stroman.

"I'd like them to come with runners in scoring position, and I just haven't been doing a good job of that," Longoria said.

The Rays are 3-3 on an eight-game homestand despite going 4 for 38 with runners in scoring position.

Catcher Hank Conger stopped a stretch where 48 consecutive runners had successfully stolen a base against him.

This story was originally published May 1, 2016 at 11:56 PM with the headline "Donaldson homer lifts Toronto past Tampa Bay in AL East battle ."