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Sloppy defense dooms Rays, winning streak ends at 7

Sep 28, 2013 - 4:41 AM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - A typically sure-handed defense weakened the Rays' grasp on a playoff spot.

Tampa Bay committed three errors in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

The Rays are now tied with Cleveland for the AL wild card and one game up on Texas.

"We really still are in the driver's seat," Rays third baseman Evan Longoria said. "It's not like we're playing catch-up at this point."

Moises Sierra had two RBI and Jose Reyes scored twice for the Blue Jays, who snapped the Rays' seven-game winning streak.

R.A. Dickey (14-13), the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner, gave up a solo homer in each of the first two innings to Ben Zobrist and Delmon Young, but silenced Tampa Bay over the remainder of his outing.

"He had a good year," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "It was his 14th win, and for a team below .500, you'll take that."

Jeremy Hellickson (12-10) was perfect as he breezed through the first three innings, but things quickly unraveled for the Tampa Bay right-hander, who was tagged for six runs, half of which were earned, and six hits while recording only five more outs.

Reyes opened a four-run fourth with a leadoff single. Tampa Bay third baseman Longoria then followed up a nice defensive play on a bunt with a miscue in front of run-scoring singles by Sierra and Anthony Gose.

After Mark DeRosa went down swinging for the second out, Ryan Goins stroked a sharp base hit to center field that a charging Sam Fuld overran. The error enabled both runners to score, and Goins, meanwhile, hustled around the bases before being tagged out at home.

Hellickson appeared to be on the verge of a 1-2-3 fifth, but consecutive two- out walks and a bloop single by Brett Lawrie made it 5-2. Sierra then hit a chopper to Longoria, whose wild throw to first base cost the Rays another run. Sierra was credited with an infield single on the play.

The Rays entered play with 56 errors, the second-fewest in the majors.

Dickey was removed after a one-out walk to Zobrist loaded the bases in the eighth inning. Sergio Santos needed only one pitch to shut down the threat, getting James Loney to ground into a double play.

Santos gave up an RBI double to Kelly Johnson in the ninth, but completed the inning to earn his first save of the season.

Game Notes

Young's homer was the 100th of his career ... Dickey surrendered 35 homers this season, including 23 at home ... The Rays had committed only three errors in their last 18 games.