Blue Jays shut down Rays

TORONTO—Toronto Blue Jays’ starter Carlos Villanueva said he was feeling “terrible” yesterday.
He didn’t show it against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Villanueva (7-4) allowed five hits and a walk while striking out seven over six shutout innings as the Jays blanked the Rays 2-0 for their second-straight win.
The only two runs came on a bases- loaded double in the first inning by Kelly Johnson, who had a three-hit game.
“Carlos was fighting a low-grade fever all afternoon and through the six innings he pitched tonight,” noted Blue Jays’ manager John Farrell.
“But he was again outstanding.”
“Terrible,” Villanueva replied when asked how he felt. “But I guess I conserved enough energy to go out there.
“Followed the plan with [catcher] Jeff [Mathis],” he added. “We had a good plan today, we had a good rhythm, and it worked out well.”
Despite the victory, the Blue Jays (59-71) are 8-19 in August as they hold onto last place in the American League East.
The Rays (71-60), who entered the day four games out of first place in the AL East, have lost five of their past six.
Villanueva won for the first time since July 27 against the Detroit Tigers. He lost four-consecutive decisions over his previous five starts.
“It’s just satisfying to beat Tampa for me,” Villanueva remarked. “They have given me a lot of trouble since I came to the East last year.”
“His change-up is really good and the slider I saw from him came out of his hand like a fastball,” said Rays’ right-fielder Sam Fuld.
“That’s the definition of good off-speed stuff is the stuff that looks like a fastball out of the hand, and that was certainly the case tonight.”
Casey Janssen pitched the ninth to earn his 18th save in the opener of a four-game series.
Rays’ left-hander Matt Moore (10-8) allowed six hits, three walks, and two runs in six innings. He also struck out seven.
“Matt wasn’t really sharp but he got through it well,” said Rays’ manager Joe Maddon.
“I can’t really get on a young pitcher who gives up two runs in six innings.
“When you don’t score any runs, you can’t cover any mistakes,” he reasoned.
The Blue Jays scored the game’s only runs in the first inning. Johnson, who was 4-for-27 on the 2-6 trip that ended Wednesday, drove in both runs with a double into the right-field corner.
The Rays had their first two batters in the second on base after Evan Longoria and Matt Joyce singled.
Jeff Keppinger then sacrificed the runners to second and third.
But Villanueva retired Luke Scott on a foul to the catcher and struck out Jose Lobaton to end the inning and start a string of six-consecutive strikeouts to equal a club record.
“I think that’s where his experience coming out of the bullpen as a reliever really comes into play for him,” Farrell said.
“He doesn’t let the game unravel on him, he doesn’t allow it to speed up.
“He continues to execute one pitch at a time and makes key pitches in big moments.”
Villanueva was removed after 94 pitches and left-hander Darren Oliver took over to pitch a 1-2-3 seventh. Right-hander Wade Davis matched him in the seventh after replacing Moore.
Brad Lincoln then sent down the Rays in order in the eighth.
“It was a low-grade fever. If it was anything more severe, we certainly wouldn’t have pushed it,” Farrell noted.
Villanueva began the season in the bullpen and then became a starter when injuries hit the starting rotation.
He will be eligible to be a free agent after the season, and he would like to remain a starter.
Elsewhere in the AL, Seattle edged Minnesota 5-4, Oakland topped Cleveland 12-7, Baltimore beat Chicago 5-3, Kansas City nipped Detroit 2-1, and L.A. downed Boston 5-2.