George Springer produced three hits and two RBIs as the visiting Toronto Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-5 on Tuesday for their sixth straight win.
After providing the game-winning hit in the 11th inning on Monday, Springer was active in the first two frames, recording two hits, scoring and driving in a pair for the Blue Jays (89-62).
Toronto’s Nathan Lukes and pinch hitter Joey Loperfido hit solo homers. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Addison Barger each had two hits and an RBI as the Blue Jays maintained a five-game lead in the American League East over the New York Yankees (84-67).
Blue Jays starter Jose Berrios yielded three runs on four hits with two walks in four innings. Eric Lauer (9-2) threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings, and Jeff Hoffman got the last two outs for his 31st save.
Brandon Lowe cranked a controversial three-run homer and had four RBIs for the Rays (73-78). Tristan Gray was 3-for-4 with an RBI, and Yandy Diaz went 2-for-4 with a walk and a run. Chandler Simpson singled, walked, scored twice and stole two bases as Tampa Bay took its third loss in a row and sixth in seven games.
After 11 days off, Rays starter Ryan Pepiot (11-11) was not sharp. He surrendered four runs on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks in 1 2/3 innings.
Toronto struck first with a leadoff single by Springer in the first, a sacrifice bunt and an RBI bloop hit by Barger.
Pepiot walked the bases full in the second. Springer knocked in two with a single, and Guerrero added an RBI single to chase Pepiot.
In an odd play in the third, right fielder Lukes reached up to grab a deep drive by Brandon Lowe, but a fan reached over the fence in right-center field onto the playing field and snared the fly. A crew-chief review ruled it fan interference, but the umpires still allowed the three-run shot to stand, cutting Tampa Bay’s deficit to 4-3.
It got even stranger in the fourth. Lukes hit a similar-distanced ball to right, which struck Josh Lowe’s glove as he leaped up, hit a fan’s hand reaching over the fence and bounced back into play. Another quick review ruled it a homer for Lukes instead of a double.
Loperfido made it 6-3 with a fifth-inning homer to right, and Gray cut it to 6-4 with a run-scoring hit in the eighth.
Brandon Lowe produced an RBI single in the ninth, slicing the gap to one, and Junior Caminero then walked to put the potential winning run on base. However, Hoffman fanned Josh Lowe and Jake Mangum to end the game.
