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The Toronto Blue Jays' win streak, forged from a string of solid outings by their starting pitchers, came to an end at the Rogers Centre last night.
A.J. Burnett struck out a season-high 10 batters but had a couple of erratic innings and it proved to be the difference as the Tampa Bay Rays hung on for a 5-4 victory that halted Toronto's season-high winning streak at five games.
The loss may prove even more costly for the Jays, 16-18, as the team lost both its shortstops through injury.
David Eckstein started for Toronto but was replaced in the fifth inning by John McDonald.
Toronto Blue Jays shortstop John McDonald rolls on the ground after hurting his ankle while chasing down a ground ball. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)
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Eckstein said he injured his right hip flexor diving after a ball struck by Dioner Navarro, which ignited a three-run third inning for the Rays.
"When I went to plant that's when I did it, I did my hip flexor," Eckstein said. "Right now it's day-to-day."
McDonald's injury appears more serious.
In the sixth inning, McDonald went to his knees to spear a ground ball struck by Tampa's Gabe Gross, but then crumpled to the turf in obvious pain, clutching at his right ankle, which he appeared to roll over on.
McDonald was attended to for several minutes on the turf before he was carted off the field, holding a hand to his head.
Utility player Marco Scutaro played shortstop the rest of the way and will be the go-to guy until the full extent of the injuries has been determined.
"We're not sure yet," Toronto manager John Gibbons said when asked about McDonald's injury.
Vernon Wells, the Jays centre fielder, is no doctor, but he said it did not appear that McDonald's injury was his Achilles' tendon.
"I know it hurt at the time but as he was laying there he started to feel a little bit better," Wells said.
The injuries only added to the solemn atmosphere in the Jays' clubhouse, which recently has been a haven for celebration thanks in large part to the great work of the team's pitching staff.
Since April 26, the Jays' rotation has been the gold standard, posting an earned-run average of 1.36 while averaging 71/3 innings a start.
That all came crashing down on Burnett, 3-3, last night as he was tapped for all five Tampa runs off nine hits in six uneven innings in the first of a three-game series.
The winner was Andy Sonnanstine, 5-1, who surrendered all four Toronto runs off 10 hits through six innings.
Veteran reliever Troy Percival came on in the ninth to nail down the victory.
The 38-year-old is 7-for-7 in save opportunities this season.
"They've got one of the best hitting teams in our league, there's no question about that," said Gibbons, whose team was swept by the Rays, 17-15, in three games last month at the Disney Complex near Orlando.
Last night, Burnett began well, impressing the crowd of 30,397 by striking out five of the first six Tampa batters.
But the Rays broke out in the third, roughing up Burnett for three runs off three hits and a 3-0 lead.
"Missed some spots," is how Burnett summed up the third. "There are some days when you're going to get away with mistakes but every mistake I threw tonight they hit well and they hit hard."
The Blue Jays were at least feisty, fighting back to score two in the third and another in the fourth to tie things up.
The Rays counterpunched in the fifth, pulling ahead 4-3 off a single by Bartlett, who came around to score when Akinori Iwamura doubled to deep centre.
A home run in the sixth inning by former Jay Eric Hinske, his seventh of the season, moved Tampa in front 5-3, and it was a key blow.
In the Jays' half of the inning, Overbay came within inches of tying the game. He lofted a high fly ball to deep centre, with Wells aboard, and it appeared to have the legs to be a home run.
But the ball struck the top of the wall and rebounded back in play as a double. Wells scored from first to trim Tampa's lead to 5-4.
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