ST. PETERSBURG (620 WDAE) -- Once again, the Rays bullpen day proved to work out just fine.
Andrew Kittredge and Ryan Yarbrough combined to throw seven innings of three-hit baseball, while a two-run fourth inning proved to be the difference as Tampa Bay snapped their two-game skid with a 6-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays Friday at Tropicana Field.
FIELD GOES DEEP FOR FIRST TIME AT HOME: After falling behind 1-0 in the top of the first, Tampa Bay tied the game in the bottom of the third inning when Johnny Field took a 2-0 fastball and turned on it, sending it into the seats in left for his second home run of the year and the first of his career at Tropicana Field.
The Rays added two more runs in the fourth, as Wilson Ramos continued his hot hitting with an RBI single that scored C.J. Cron and extended his hitting streak to 12 straight games. A fielder's choice grounder by Denard Span then plated Matt Duffy for a 3-1 advantage.
Adeiny Hechavarria extended Tampa Bay's led to 4-1 in the seventh with a base hit to score Field, who doubled with one out.
After Aledmys Diaz homered off Sergio Romo in the eighth to cut the lead back to a pair, Brad Miller set the scoring with a two-run blast in the bottom of the inning off Tim Mayza to make it a 6-2 game.
BULLPEN DAY DOES THE JOB: Andrew Kittredge began the contest by allowing a double to Curtis Granderson and walking Josh Donaldson, but limited the damage to a sacrifice fly off the bat of Teoscar Hernandez. He would finish the first two innings down 1-0.
Ryan Yarbrough took over to start the third and tossed five innings of one-hit baseball, striking out four and earning his second win of the year.
HU SENT DOWN: After the game, the Rays optioned RHP Chih-Wei Hu to Triple-A Durham, with a corresponding move scheduled to come Saturday.
SATURDAY'S MATCHUP
Rays vs Toronto Blue Jays, 6:10 p.m. first pitch, with coverage on WDAE beginning at 5:00 withThe Inside Pitch presented by Crown Eurocams.
Rays starter - RHP Jake Faria (2-1, 4.60 ERA)
Blue Jays starter - RHP Aaron Sanchez (2-2, 4.06 ERA)
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Sunday - Rays vs. Toronto Blue Jays, 1:10 p.m. first pitch
Monday - OFF
Tuesday - Rays vs. Atlanta Braves, 7:10 p.m. first pitch
Wednesday - Rays v. Atlanta Braves, 7:10 p.m. first pitch
Thursday - OFF