Rookie left-hander Thomas Pannone pitched 6 2-3 innings to win his third straight start, Rowdy Tellez homered and drove in three and the Toronto Blue Jays beat Tampa Bay 5-2 Saturday, dealing another blow to the Rays' faint playoff hopes.
Tellez singled in the second, hit a two-run homer in the fourth, and added an insurance run with an RBI double in the eighth.
Tommy Pham and Jesus Sucre hit solo home runs for the Rays, who began the day 6 1-2 games behind Oakland in the race for the second AL wild card. Tampa Bay has eight games remaining.
Toronto has won two of the first three of this four-game set, rallying with a seven-run ninth inning in Thursday's 9-8 win. The Blue Jays are 5-10 against the Rays this season.
Making his fifth major league start, Pannone (4-1) allowed two runs and six hits. He walked three and struck out five.
After Pham opened the scoring in the third with his 20th home run, Pannone walked the bases loaded but escaped further damage by striking out Willy Adames.
The Blue Jays responded with a three-run fourth against Tyler Glasnow (2-7). Justin Smoak drew a leadoff walk and Tellez hit a one-out homer, his third. One out later, Kevin Pillar singled and scored on Reese McGuire's double.
Pannone gave up a two-out homer to Sucre in the seventh and left after the next batter, Mallex Smith, reached on an infield single. Ryan Tepera came on and walked Pham, then struck out Matt Duffy to end the threat.
Tyler Clippard worked the eighth and Ken Giles finished for his 24th save in 24 opportunities.
Glasnow allowed three runs and six hits in six innings to lose for the fourth time in five starts. He's 0-2 with an 8.49 ERA in three starts against Toronto.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rays: OF Kevin Kiermaier was held out of the starting lineup. Manager Kevin Cash said Kiermaier was "a little banged up." ... DH Ji-Man Choi (left knee) did not start but came on as a pinch hitter in the ninth, drawing a one-out walk. Choi left Friday's game after five innings.
UP NEXT
Rays LHP Blake Snell (20-5, 1.97) faces Blue Jays LHP Ryan Borucki (4-4, 3.86) in Sunday's series finale. Snell is 8-0 with a 1.17 ERA in his past eight starts, striking out 63 batters over 46 innings in that stretch. Borucki pitched eight shutout innings to beat Baltimore in his previous outing, snapping a three-start winless streak.
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