Steven Souza Jr.'s second home run of the game, a go-ahead, three-run drive in the eighth inning, lifted the Tampa Bay Rays over the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 Wednesday.
Souza pulled Tampa Bay to 3-2 in the sixth with a solo homer off J.A. Happ. Tampa Bay has homered in a team-record 18 consecutive games dating to Sept. 20.
Evan Longoria and Desmond Jennings singled off Gavin Floyd (0-1) in the eighth, and Arnold Leon relieved with one out. Souza homered to center for his fourth hit of the game, tying his career high.
Erasmo Ramirez (1-0) allowed one hit over the final two innings as the Rays split the four-game series after losing the first two.
Josh Donaldson hit a three-run homer in the third off Matt Moore. The reigning AL MVP left after a seventh-inning at-bat with what appeared to be a leg injury when he was unable to run out a grounder.
Troy Tulowitzki nearly made it 6-0 later in the third, but his drive with two on was caught by center fielder Kevin Kiermaier near the wall at the deepest part of the ballpark.
Forsythe had given Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead with a two-run homer in the eighth.
Moore gave up three runs, five hits and two walks in five innings with six strikeout. Happ allowed two runs and seven hits in six-plus innings.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Blue Jays: LF Michael Saunders, who played the first three games of the series on the artificial turf at Tropicana Field, got the day off. He was limited to nine games last season due to left knee injuries. . RHP Marco Estrada (back) remained on schedule to start Sunday against Boston LHP David Price.
STRIKEOUT ZONE
Rays pitchers struck out 46 during the series. "They have a pretty good pitching staff over there," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "That's what they do."
REAL HIGH FLY
Casali hit a pop fly that struck an overhanging catwalk 194 feet above the infield in the third inning that was caught by Tulowitzki at shortstop. It was just the fourth ball to strike the `A' ring, which is in play, since the Rays started playing at Tropicana Field in 1998.
UP NEXT
Blue Jays: RHP Marcus Stroman (1-0) is to face Boston RHP Rick Porcello on Friday night in Toronto's home opener. . The Blue Jays are scheduled to work out Thursday in Toronto.
Rays: RHP Chris Archer (0-1) will start a three-game trip against Baltimore and RHP Chris Tillman of Friday night. The Tampa Bay ace is 0-4 with a 5.50 ERA in seven starts since the beginning of last September.
