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Rays rout Blue Jays for second straight night

Posted at 2:00 AM, May 18, 2016
and last updated 2016-05-18 02:00:04-04

The Tampa Bay Rays followed up their biggest outburst of the season with another offensive onslaught.

Chris Archer pitched six innings to win his third straight decision, Brad Miller had three hits and three RBIs and the Rays routed the Toronto Blue Jays 12-2 on Tuesday night.

"We kind of picked up where we left off," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Generally that doesn't happen."

Logan Morrison had two hits and two RBIs for the Rays, who beat Toronto 13-2 on Monday night. Tampa Bay has scored in each of the first three innings in back-to-back games for the first time in team history.

"Guys are not trying to do too much," Morrison said. "We're taking advantage of the pitches that we're getting."

Tampa Bay matched Monday's season high of 17 hits and reached double figures in runs in consecutive games for the first time since doing it against the Yankees on April 18 and 19, 2014.

The last time the Rays had at least 17 hits in back-to-back games was April 12 and 13, 2009, when they did it against Baltimore and New York.

Morrison's RBIs were his first of the season.

"He's been grinding through it," Cash said. "He's been just as pro as you can be handling everything. It's great to see him get on the board."

Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman (4-1) allowed career-worsts of seven runs and 13 hits in 5 2/3 innings, and the slumping Blue Jays lost their fourth straight.

"They did a great job of putting the ball in play," Stroman said. "I fell behind in some counts and they did a good job of capitalizing."

For the second night in a row, the Rays handed a previously unbeaten Blue Jays pitcher his first loss of the season. Left-hander J.A. Happ, who came in 5-0, allowed a season-worst eight runs in two innings on Monday.

Archer (3-4) allowed two runs, both on Jose Bautista's first-inning homer, and four hits. This was his 18th start against Toronto, six more than he's made against any other opponent.

"Being able to pitch five scoreless innings after how it started is something I can hang my hat on," Archer said.

Taylor Motter capped the onslaught with a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the ninth, the first of his career.

Bautista was in the lineup after appealing a one-game suspension for his role in a benches-clearing brawl at Texas on Sunday. He hit a two-run home run off Archer in the first, his seventh.

Bautista declined to discuss specifics of his appeal, but said he was "confident" in his case.

"I think I have good enough reasons," he said. "I'm not just appealing it for the sake of appealing it."

Toronto manager John Gibbons began serving his three-game suspension for his role in Sunday's brawl, while first base coach Tim Leiper served his one-game penalty. Bench coach DeMarlo Hale replaced Gibbons and assistant hitting coach Eric Owens filled in for Leiper.

Blue Jays right-hander Jesse Chavez was available after appealing his three-game suspension for hitting Texas slugger Prince Fielder with a pitch.

MOORE GETS MOVED

Rays LHP Matt Moore's next start is being moved back two days to split him up from fellow left-hander Drew Smyly in the Rays' rotation. Moore, who's 1-3 with a 5.09 ERA in eight starts, will next pitch at Miami on Monday. Moore is winless in his past five starts.

TRAINER'S ROOM:

Rays: RHP Ryan Webb stayed in the game after being hit in the jaw by Jimmy Paredes' liner in the eighth. The hard shot appeared to hit Webb on his glove hand before striking his face. "I thought I got a little bit of glove on it but it still squared me up pretty good," Webb said. After a visit from the trainer, Webb got Edwin Encarnacion to ground into an inning-ending double play.

UP NEXT

Rays: RHP Jake Odorizzi (0-2, 3.83) is winless in eight starts, matching the second-longest winless start to a season in Rays history. RHP Tanyon Sturtze was winless in 15 straight starts to begin the 2002 season.

Blue Jays: RHP R.A. Dickey (2-4, 4.31) will pitch Wednesday's series finale for Toronto. He's 8-8 with a 4.25 ERA in 23 career games against the Rays.