Pena bats leadoff, lifts Rays over Blue Jays

10:31 PM, May 22, 2012   |    comments
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St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Carlos Pena may get used to this leadoff thing.

Pena, batting leadoff to start a game for the first time in his big-league career, finished 2-for-5 with a long three-run home run, as Tampa Bay downed Toronto, 8-5, in the middle contest of a three-game set.

Matt Moore couldn't make it through five frames, leaving the Rays bullpen to pull extra duty. It responded with 4 1/3 solid frames, giving up just one run on four hits. Wade Davis (1-0) pitched two frames to pick up the win, while Fernando Rodney cruised through the ninth with a pair of strikeouts to record his 14th save.

Chris Gimenez drove in two runs and B.J. Upton hit a solo home run for the Rays, who snapped a two-game losing streak and improved their home record to an AL-best 16-7.

Jose Bautista drove in a pair of runs and Yan Gomes hit a solo home run for the Blue Jays, who have lost two of three. Drew Hutchison (3-2) took the loss, giving up six runs on seven hits over four frames.

The Sports Network