Rays beat Halladay, Blue Jays 4-1

[June 30, 2009]  TORONTO (AP) -- Carl Crawford and Pat Burrell homered and the Tampa Bays Rays ruined Roy Halladay's return with their sixth straight victory, 4-1 over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday night.

Halladay (10-2) came in having won his past seven decisions, the longest streak in the majors, but lost for the first time since April 21, against Texas. The Blue Jays have lost three straight.

He was starting for the first time since June 12, against Florida, when he left two pitches into the fourth inning with a sore groin that landed him on the disabled list. Halladay allowed two runs and five hits in six innings. The right-hander, who walked two and struck out seven, failed to pitch at least seven innings for only the second time in 15 starts.

Jeff Niemann (7-4) won his third straight decision and is unbeaten in five starts in June. He allowed one run and four hits, walked two and struck out one.

Randy Choate got the last out for his fourth save in as many chances.

The long layoff seemed to affect Halladay's control, as he threw 88 pitches, 57 strikes.

The Rays touched Halladay for two runs in the third. B.J. Upton drew a leadoff walk, stole second and went to third when catcher Rod Barajas' throw sailed into center field. Crawford drilled Halladay's next pitch into the second deck in right, his seventh homer.

Halladay responded by retiring 11 of the final 12 batters he faced. The only one who reached was Gabe Gross, who was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double in the fourth.

Tampa Bay tacked on two runs in the seventh against right-hander Jeremy Accardo. Burrell led off with a homer to left, his third, and Upton hit a sacrifice fly.

The Blue Jays chased Niemann in the eighth when Jose Bautista led off with a walk, took second on a groundout and scored on a double by Barajas.

Blue Jays third baseman Scott Rolen extended his hitting streak to a career-high 17 games with a leadoff double in the second.

The Rays stole three bases, boosting their major league-leading total to 121, but were caught stealing twice.

NOTES: Toronto OF Alex Rios, who is 2 for 21 in his past six games, got the day off. ... Barajas played for the first time since leaving in the second inning of Friday's game with a strained right hamstring. ... Tampa Bay RF/2B Ben Zobrist, who is in a 6-for-40 slump, was held out of the starting lineup but came on as a defensive replacement in the ninth.

[Associated Press]

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