Upton, Crawford, Aybar homer as Rays beat Jays 4-1

[July 01, 2009]  TORONTO (AP) -- B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford and Willy Aybar hit solo homers and the Tampa Bay Rays won their seventh straight game, 4-1 over the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1 on Tuesday night.

Matt Garza (6-5) allowed one run and seven hits in seven innings, walked two and struck out three to win consecutive starts for the first time since April 30 and May 5. The right-hander is 4-2 with a 0.60 ERA in his past six starts against the Blue Jays. He is 2-2 with a 0.91 ERA in four career starts in Toronto.

J.P. Howell worked the ninth for his sixth save.

Upton hit the first pitch of the game from Scott Richmond (6-5) over the wall in left-center for his seventh homer.

The Blue Jays tied it in the second when Scott Rolen singled to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 18 games and scored when Lyle Overbay grounded into a double play.

Crawford put the Rays in front to stay in the third with a one-out homer, his eighth of the year.

Aybar made it 3-1 with a leadoff shot in the sixth, his seventh, giving the Rays a team-record 41 homers in June.

Richmond allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings. He walked five and struck out seven.

Ben Zobrist capped Tampa Bay's scoring with a sacrifice fly in the eighth off reliever Jesse Carlson.

Toronto, which has scored just six runs in losing four straight, never mounted much of a threat. Rolen grounded into a fielder's choice with runners at first and second to end the third and Vernon Wells flied out to end the fifth, stranding runners at second and third.

Garza left after Aaron Hill's leadoff walk in the seventh and Vernon Wells followed with a single against Chad Bradford. Hill took third on Rolen's fly out before Randy Choate came on and struck out Adam Lind, then got Overbay to fly to left. Overbay is hitless in 13 at-bats.

NOTES: Rays 3B Evan Longoria, who missed time with a tight left hamstring earlier this month, was held out of the starting lineup but pinch-hit in the eighth and flied out. ... Blue Jays closer Scott Downs, out since June 18 with a sore toe, threw off the bullpen mound and will try fielding drills in the coming days, manager Cito Gaston said. Downs is eligible to come off the DL Friday when the Blue Jays open a three-game series at New York. ... Toronto rookie LHP Brett Cecil made his first career relief appearance in the ninth.

[Associated Press]

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