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TORONTO (AP) -The
Tampa Bay Rays
' first meaningful September isn't going so well. As for
Blue Jays
catcher
Gregg Zaun
, he's just happy his miserable August is behind him.
Zaun hit a game-ending grand slam in the 13th inning and Toronto beat the Rays 7-4 on Saturday to extend their season-high
winning streak to seven.
The Rays are 1-4 this month, allowing Boston to cut into their AL East lead, but manager Joe Maddon isn't worried about his
young team.
''You're going to lose games like this,'' Maddon said. ''When you get into the playoffs, you're going to lose some tough games
and you've got to come back tomorrow. That's why it's 162, that's why they call it a grind. Sometimes you get your heart broken
for about 30 minutes but you've got to put it back together, come back tomorrow and play another game and that's what we'll
do.''
The Rays won a franchise-record 21 games in August, but have stumbled since, dropping back-to-back series for the first time
since a seven-game losing streak immediately before the All-Star break. Until they lost two of three to
New York Yankees
earlier this week, Tampa Bay hadn't lost a series in the second half.
Despite the loss, Maddon's optimism was echoed in the clubhouse.
''We were playing very well and we ran into the Yankees and they took two of three from us,'' outfielder
Rocco Baldelli
said. ''That happens. It's such a small sample size the last four or five games, you can't let five games symbolize the way
the season is going. We feel like we're going to come out tomorrow and win.''
Closer
Troy Percival
(2-1) served up Zaun's slam, but said he expects the Rays to bounce back.
''We've been counted out all season, we were supposed to come in last place all season and we've been pretty defiant,'' Percival
said.
The Rays entered with a 2 1/2-game advantage over the
Red Sox
, who carried a four-game winning streak into their matchup with Texas on Saturday night.
Lyle Overbay
added two solo homers for Toronto, which matched its longest winning streak since Sept. 22-29, 2002.
Tampa Bay tied it with three runs in the ninth and
Dioner Navarro
's RBI single off
Brian Tallet
(1-1) in the 13th inning gave the Rays a 4-3 lead. But Toronto rallied against Percival in the bottom half.
Vernon Wells
and
Brad Wilkerson
got it started with consecutive one-out singles. Overbay grounded into a fielder's choice and
Scott Rolen
walked before Zaun went deep for his sixth homer of the season and fourth career slam.
''I was trying to go with a fastball away right there and I pulled it across the plate,'' Percival said. ''Missed location,
bad pitch.''
Zaun finished 3-for-5, picking up his first hit since July 30. He went 0-for-19 in eight August appearances.
''If I hit it anywhere else it's a game-ending flyball,'' Zaun said of his shot into the right-field bullpen. ''I got it far
enough down the line, it got over and they all count. It was a big moment. That was a lot of fun.''
Percival and
Blue Jays
closer B.J. Ryan each picked up their fourth blown save. Baldelli connected for a pinch-hit, two-run homer off Ryan in the
ninth and pinch-runner
Fernando Perez
scored on second baseman
Joe Inglett
's error to tie it at 3.
Tampa Bay nearly won it in the 12th, loading the bases with two outs. Left-hander
John Parrish
came on and fell behind
Carlos Pena
3-0, then got it back to 3-2 before Pena flied out to left.
Overbay hit a leadoff drive in the second and an opposite-field shot to left in the fourth for his 14th homer, helping Toronto
build a 3-0 lead. It was his seventh career multihomer game and second this season.
Shaun Marcum
was in line for his ninth win before Tampa Bay's rally. He allowed four singles, walked three and struck out seven in seven
innings.
James Shields
allowed three runs and six hits in eight innings for the Rays.
Notes: Rays 3B
Evan Longoria
(fractured wrist) was activated off the 15-day DL before the game. Longoria felt no pain after swinging a bat earlier Saturday
and plans to resume batting practice Monday. ... Zaun snapped an 0-for-21 skid with a single in the second. ... Inglett's
error was his second in as many games. ... The
Blue Jays
used nine pitchers, while the Rays used six. ... It was the first time in franchise history the
Blue Jays
hit a game-ending grand slam in extra innings.
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