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Blue Jays defeat Rays 3-2

Anthony Gose's ninth-inning bunt proved to be the game-winner as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 3-2, to complete the series sweep and win their ninth straight game.

Anthony Gose's ninth-inning bunt proved to be the game-winner as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 3-2, to complete the series sweep and win their ninth straight game.

Dioner Navarro led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to right and was replaced by pinch-runner Kevin Pillar. Gose then laid down a bunt towards the first-base line.

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Pitcher Juan Carlos Oviedo (1-1) picked up the ball and whipped it wide right of first baseman James Loney. Pillar hustled from first and dove headfirst at home plate to elude the tag of catcher Roman Solis as the Blue Jays notched their third straight series sweep.

Edwin Encarnacion drove in two runs and Jose Reyes supplied three hits for Toronto while Aaron Loup (2-1) earned the win after pitching a scoreless top of the ninth. Starter Liam Hendriks gave up two runs on three hits with five strikeouts in six innings of work.

Wil Myers hit a two-run shot and Matt Joyce doubled twice for the Rays, who had won four in a row prior to this set. Starter Chris Archer surrendered two runs on six hits with seven strikeouts across six frames.

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Reyes singled to lead off the game and two raced to third on a one-out single to center courtesy of Jose Bautista. After Adam Lind walked to load the bases, Encarnacion ripped a single to shallow right to make it 2-0.

In the second, Joyce doubled off the center-field wall with one away and Myers tied the game with a shot to left.

Toronto's outfielders made multiple solid defensive plays. With two down in the third and Evan Longoria on first, Gose kept it 2-2 by leaping at the center-field wall to rob Loney. In the sixth, Melky Cabrera jumped into the wall in left and extended his glove to take away a hit from Longoria.

[SportsNetwork.com]

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