TORONTO - The Tampa Bay rays made the most of their opportunities against Henderson Alvarez.
The Toronto Blue Jays let most of their chances go to waste.
Alvarez gave up a career-high six runs and walked two batters as the Rays beat the Blue Jays 9-4 on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays stranded 13 runners as the Rays took the rubber match of a three-game series. The Blue Jays had the bases loaded in the sixth and ninth and came away with a total of one run.
"We had the bases loaded a couple of times and they definitely didn't let it go when they had the opportunity," said Blue Jays catcher J.P. Arencibia who was 2-for-4. "It was just one of those games where we didn't have the timely hitting and they did."
Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, who made four errors in the series and was the target of the Rogers Centre fans, drove in four runs with a two-run homer, a single and a double.
Desmond Jennings also homered and drove in two runs and Luke Scott drove in two runs with a double in the Rays' three-run ninth in which Longoria also doubled in a run.
Both the home runs came in the Rays' three-run fifth inning after the Blue Jays had tied the game 3-3 in the fourth. Jennings hit a solo homer, his first, and Longoria hit a two-run blast, his second, to put the Rays into the lead.
"Tonight was a situation where we couldn't seem to maintain any momentum that we would generate offensively," Blue Jays manager John Farrell said. "But Henderson kept us in the ball game until the three runs they scored in the (fifth) inning."
Jeremy Hellickson (2-0) allowed three runs, two earned, in 5 2/3 innings to earn the win. Alvarez (0-1) gave up six hits in 6 1/3 innings while striking out four. The promising 22-year-old walked more than one batter for only the second time in 13 career starts. Both times it was against Tampa Bay.
It was the second 2-1 series loss in a row for the Blue Jays and they finished a nine-game home stand with a 4-5 record. The Rays completed a 10-game trip 4-6.
"That was very challenging," Rays first baseman Carlos Pena said. "We had a couple of opening days, a bunch of day games. It was a challenge to get your rest, get your preparation routine in line. We held our own and we get back home with positive momentum on our side and something to build from."
Alvarez is now 0-2 against the Rays, also losing to them last Aug. 26 when he allowed four earned runs and three homers in that game over six innings.
"I just happened to have two bad games and both games have been against Tampa Bay," Alvarez said through an interpreter.
Ben Zobrist singled in the first and scored the first run on Longoria's single.
The Blue Jays (6-6) answered with a run in the home first. Yunel Escobar followed up Wednesday's four-hit game with a leadoff single, took second on a wild pitch, and scored on Adam Lind's two-out double.
The Rays (7-6) took a 3-1 lead with in the second.
The inning started when Matt Joyce was hit by a pitch. He scored from second on a two-out single to right by Sean Rodriguez, who went all the way to third on a throwing error charged to Jose Bautista on the throw home. The ball skipped past catcher J.P. Arencibia and hit Alvarez, who was backing up home plate, on the left shoulder.
Alvarez was able to continue after receiving attention.
"It didn't affect me after I was hit," Alvarez said. "I was hit in the left shoulder right on the bone, but it didn't affect me when I was pitching."
The Blue Jays tied the game 3-3 in the fourth. Colby Rasmus out down a bunt single with one out. Arencibia who entered the game batting .063 (2-for-32), got his second hit of the night with a double to right field over the head of Zobrist.
Rodriguez was charged with a throwing error on Escobar's grounder to short and Arencibia slid home with the tying run.
After Alvarez retired eight batters in a row, Jennings homered to left to restore Tampa Bay's lead.
Zobrist walked with one out and Longoria hit a long blast to centre for his second homer of the season to put Tampa Bay into a 6-3 lead.
Despite the rough outing, Alvarez drew praise from the opposing dugout.
"I'm a big fan," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "He's a good young pitcher. He's 22 years of age, he's got a bowling ball sinker pitch, he's going to get a ton of ground balls. As he really understands and learns what he wants to do as a major league pitcher, he's going to be really good. We got to him today a little bit but I do like him a lot."
Arencibia hit another ball hard in the sixth but Joyce made a superb catch at the left-field wall.
It turned out to be a big play as the Jays loaded the bases, but Lind lined out to first against J.P. Howell to end the inning.
Notes: Attendance at Rogers Centre was 18,976. ...After the game the Blue Jays called up right-hander Drew Hutchison from double-A New Hampshire and he will start Saturday against in Kansas City. Left-hander Evan Crawford was sent on option to New Hampshire while right-hander Jesse Litsch was moved from the 15-day to the 60 day disabled list to make room for Hutchison on the 40-man roster. ...The roof was open for the first time this season. ...Kyle Drabek (2-0, 1.42 earned-run average) goes for his third consecutive win on Friday at Kansas City when he faces Luke Hochevar (1-1, 7.84 ERA). ...The Rays claimed first baseman-outfielder Brandon Allen off waivers from Oakland. ...Rays' centre-fielder B.J. Upton was scheduled to come off the disabled list on Friday. He had a sore back after an outfield collision in spring training. ... Corresponding moves were to be made Friday.
