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Jays get back-to-back homers to power past Rays

Sep 14, 2014 - 6:12 AM Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Adam Lind snapped a seventh-inning tie with a two-run homer and Edwin Encarnacion followed with a solo blast, as the Toronto Blue Jays earned a 6-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.

Lind finished with three runs batted in for the Blue Jays, who bounced back from Friday's 1-0 loss in the series opener and won for the fifth time in their last six games.

"We have quite a few games left to finish up strong," said Lind.

R.A. Dickey (13-12) pitched seven strong innings to win his fourth straight decision. He allowed three runs on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

Evan Longoria homered and drove in two runs for Tampa Bay, which has lost three of its last four. Jeremy Hellickson went the first six innings for the Rays and was charged with three runs -- two earned -- on four hits and four walks with eight strikeouts.

Brad Boxberger (5-2) took over for Hellickson to start the bottom of the seventh and struck out Jose Reyes, but Jose Bautista drew a walk and Lind followed with a drive over the wall in left-center field for his fifth home run of the season. Encarnacion then hit Steve Geltz's first pitch into the second deck in left field for his 31st homer to make it 6-3.

"That was an inning that we can't let get away from us defensively and we did," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "That's what got them back in the ball game."

Tampa Bay threatened in the eighth against Brett Cecil when Ben Zobrist led off with a single and Sean Rodriguez walked. Longoria, though, struck out on a pitch in the dirt and James Loney grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Casey Janssen worked around a two-out single in the ninth to nail down his 23rd save.

The Rays opened the scoring in the first when Zobrist led off with a double, took third on a grounder and scored on a bouncer to shortstop by Longoria. They added a run in the third. Kevin Kiermaier led off the inning with a single into right field and made a wide turn around first. He continued to second on the play when Bautista threw behind him, then reached third on a grounder and scored on a Dickey wild pitch.

Toronto answered with three in the home third to take the lead. Ryan Goins reached on a strikeout-wild pitch to start the inning and advanced to second on a single by Anthony Gose. Reyes then dropped down a bunt and Hellickson threw it past first, allowing Goins to score. Bautista singled off the glove of Hellickson to chase in the tying run and Lind's fielder's choice grounder sent Reyes home for a 3-2 lead.

Longoria led off the sixth with his 21st homer of the season to tie it for Tampa Bay.

Game Notes

Lind hadn't homered since June 23 ... The Blue Jays hit back-to-back-homers for the eighth time this season ... Loney went 0-for-4 and had a six-game hitting streak stopped ... Zobrist stopped an 0-for-13 slide with his leadoff double ... Tampa Bay's Matt Joyce was ejected in the ninth for arguing balls and strikes.