Crawford halts Blue Jays' win streak

Outfielder's bases-loaded triple keys 6-2 Tampa Bay victory

Last Updated: Thursday, June 7, 2007 | 12:46 AM ET

CBC Sports

There wouldn't be any late-game heroics by second baseman Aaron Hill and his Blue Jays teammates on this night, only some bad habits creeping back into Toronto's game.

The Jays left seven runners in scoring position and starting pitcher Tomo Ohka was chased in the fourth inning by the visiting Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who prevailed 6-2 Wednesday.

Tampa Bay's Brendan Harris, left, slides safe into home plate as Blue Jays' catcher Jason Phillips misses the tag.
(Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)

In all, the Blue Jays left 11 runners on base and failed to win a season-high fourth game in a row. They also blew an opportunity to reach the .500 mark for the first time since May 1 and saw their record slip to 28-30.

Hill, who walked twice in a six-run, ninth-inning rally on Tuesday, played a role 24 hours later — but for all the wrong reasons.

In the first inning, he grounded out with runners on first and second base with two out. After being stranded at third following a one-out triple in the fifth, Hill struck out with two runners on in the seventh inning with Toronto trailing 5-2.

"It would have been nice for us to do what we did [Tuesday]," said Blue Jays centre-fielder Vernon Wells.

"Obviously, it wasn't in the cards for us. I don't know if they made pitches when they needed to or we just didn't do a good enough job of getting the job done in situations. It's frustrating, obviously, for everybody."

Tampa Bay roughed up a Toronto starter for the second consecutive night. The Devil Rays torched Roy Halladay for eight runs (seven earned) in 3 1/3 innings in Tuesday's opener of a three-game series.

Not Ohka's night

Ohka (2-5) suffered his first loss in seven career starts against Tampa Bay and is winless in his last five outings after giving up five earned runs on 10 hits.

The right-hander, making his first start since May 26, retired the side in order in the first inning but proceeded to give up single runs in the second and third and three more in the fourth frame.

"I guarantee you it [the long layoff] does [have something to do with Ohka's problems]," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "It's not easy. These guys get in their routines, that's not easy for anybody. But that's what happens with that fifth guy sometimes."

Ohka's night was over after he surrendered a Brendan Harris single with out in the fourth to load the bases.

The next batter, outfielder Carl Crawford, brought home Dioner Navarro, B.J. Upton and Harris with a triple to right field to make it 5-2 Devil Rays.

Nine of Tampa Bay's 13 hits came courtesy of its top four hitters in the batting order: B.J. Upton, Harris, Crawford and Ty Wigginton. The group also drove in five runs and scored five times.

Toronto erases lead

Toronto, which has won 15 of his past 24 games, erased a 2-0 deficit in the third inning against Tampa Bay starter Scott Kazmir (4-3).

With one out, the left-hander walked Frank Thomas and Troy Glaus back-to-back before serving up a two-run double to Hill, who leads the Blue Jays with 35 runs batted in this season.

Kazmir lasted five innings before giving way to Brian Stokes, who combined with Shawn Camp, Casey Fossum and Gary Glover to three-hit Toronto the rest of the way.

"Some nights, you're the windshield and some nights you're the bug," Devil Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "[Tuesday] night, we were the bug. You just have to be able to wipe it clean and come back the next night. That's relief pitching."

Prior to Wednesday's game, the Blue Jays purchased the contract of pitcher Jordan De Jong from triple-A Syracuse and optioned fellow righty Brian Wolfe to the minors.

De Jong, 28, started the season at double-A New Hampshire and was promoted after eight games, giving up just one run in 14 innings.

To make room for De Jong on the 40-man roster, the Jays designated Syracuse righty Ismael Ramirez for assignment.

Toronto's A.J. Burnett, winless in his past two starts, takes the mound in Thursday's series finale against Edwin Jackson at 12:37 p.m. ET.