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Rays belt 4 HRs, rout Blue Jays

Sep 23, 2012 - 3:21 AM St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - Evan Longoria belted a three-run homer, one of four long balls hit by the Tampa Bay Rays in an 11-5 thrashing of the Toronto Blue Jays.

Desmond Jennings went 3-for-3 with a solo homer and scored four times. Jose Molina added three hits, including a solo homer. B.J. Upton also went deep, as the Rays won their fourth in a row, although time is dwindling for their playoff chances.

With 10 contests remaining, Tampa Bay is 3 1/2 games behind Oakland for the second wild card spot.

Adam Lind knocked in three runs for the Blue Jays, losers of five straight contests.

The Rays have scored 43 times during their winning streak, the best run production over a four-game span in club history.

Burke Badenhop (3-2) replaced Rays starter Matt Moore after just 2 2/3 innings and recorded four outs to get the win.

Brandon Morrow (8-7) was touched for five runs over four innings, and Brad Lincoln imploded in the fifth by giving up six hits and as many runs while getting only two outs.

Edwin Encarnacion and Lind each drove in a run in the top of the first, but Ben Francisco walked with the bases full in the bottom half, and the Rays went ahead in the second when Longoria homered to left field.

Jennings went deep to left in the fourth before Lind made it a 5-4 game when his sinking triple went by a sliding Jennings. Anthony Gose and Brett Lawrie scored.

Tampa Bay then exploded for six runs in its half of the fifth. Francisco doubled down the left field line to drive in Jeff Keppinger before scoring on a bloop single by Ryan Roberts. Molina and Upton tacked on two-run homers for an 11-4 cushion.

Adeiny Hechavarria had an RBI single in the eighth inning.

Game Notes

The teams combined to leave 18 men on base ... The Rays lead the season series, 13-4, having won the last four games. That includes a 7-1 mark at Tropicana Field this season. The Blue Jays have lost 17 straight series at Tampa Bay ... Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar returned from a three-game suspension and went 0-for-4. Escobar was penalized for displaying a gay slur written in Spanish on eye black during a recent game.