Rays spoil Richmond's debut with Jays

Eric Hinske doubled and scored in the fourth inning to spoil the major league debut of Blue Jays starter Scott Richmond as the Tampa Bay Rays edged Toronto 3-2 on Wednesday afternoon at Rogers Centre.

It was the second game-winning run in as many games for Hinske, who won the American League Rookie of the Year award with Toronto in 2002. He hit a solo home run to open the scoring in Tampa Bay's 3-0 win on Tuesday.

B.J. Upton scored on a triple from Carl Crawford for the Rays' first run in Wednesday's win and Carlos Pena added a fourth-inning solo shot off Richmond (0-1).

Richmond, a native of North Vancouver, was solid in his major league debut — allowing three earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings of work — but the Blue Jays bats offered little help as they failed to capitalize on their opportunities.

Despite the loss, Richmond was just happy to finally get his shot in the majors.

"It's been a long road," said Richmond. "I'm happy that I'm 28 doing this instead of 22 just because I can keep it under control a bit more. I've been through a lot of hard roads and now that it's all paid off it's no time to be nervous, just time to do what you've grown up doing."

He can probably expect an extended opportunity with the Jays, which may come at the expense of the Canadian Olympic team. Richmond was to be a key part of the roster for Beijing and if he isn't returned to the minors before Friday, he becomes ineligible.

Based on his performance Wednesday, Jays manager Cito Gaston believes he'll be sticking around.

"If (Richmond) pitches like that all the time it certainly gives us a chance to win the ball game," said Gaston. "I liked the way he handled himself out there, he did a good job as far as I'm concerned. He deserves another start."

'It's the same old thing'

Lyle Overbay provided all the offence for Toronto with a two-out, two-run shot in the first inning but that was the only clutch play for the home side.

A leadoff triple from Adam Lind was wasted in the fourth inning, while Toronto squandered runners on second and third with no outs in the fifth.

"We had a chance today but once again it's the same old thing that's been going on here all year, guys on third base and we can't get them in with less than two outs," said Gaston.

"We should have won that game at least 4-3, that's one of the things we're still working on and keep talking to guys to see what they're thinking when they're up there in that situation, because whatever it is it's not too good."

Toronto's struggles at the plate helped make a winner out of Edwin Jackson (7-7), who allowed seven hits and struck out three in five innings of work for Tampa Bay (63-44).

Relievers J.P. Howell, Grant Balfour, Dan Wheeler and Troy Percival, who worked the ninth for his 23rd save, preserved the lead.

The loss wasn't the only bad news for Toronto on the day.

Catcher Gregg Zaun became vocal about his desire to be moved prior to Thursday's trade deadline, while starting third baseman Scott Rolen revealed he needs to rest more frequently in order to ease a "mechanical issue" in his troubled left shoulder.

Missed opportunity results in run

Tampa Bay was able to open the game's scoring after a defensive miscue by Toronto.

Upton hit a ground ball with Akinori Iwamura on first, but the Jays couldn't turn the double play. Crawford then capitalized with his ninth triple of the season to score Upton and give the Rays a 1-0 lead.

Richmond managed to recover with a strikeout of Evan Longoria before Carlos Pena flied out to end the inning.

The Jays took a 2-1 lead in the bottom half of the frame as Alex Rios reached base on a single before Overbay smashed a 1-0 offering from Jackson over the wall in centre field.

Richmond settled down until the fourth inning, when Pena tied the game on a leadoff home run to right for his 18th of the season.

Hinske followed with a double to centre and then moved to third on a single from Dioner Navarro. He then came around to score after Gabe Gross, another former Blue Jay, grounded into a double play.

The Jays appeared poised to respond in the bottom of the fourth after Lind led off with his second triple of the season. But Brad Wilkerson popped out and Zaun grounded out before John McDonald ended the frame with another fly ball out to right.

Toronto had another great opportunity in the fifth, as Joe Inglett singled and moved to second after a fielding error from Iwamura allowed Marco Scutaro to reach first.

Both runners advanced after a wild pitch from Jackson, but the pitcher induced a ground ball from Rios, then struck out Overbay for the second out.

He walked Matt Stairs to load the bases before he got Adam Lind to pop out and end the inning unscathed.

"It's the way the season's been going," said Overbay. "If we plan on doing something like getting to the playoffs or a playoff run, we can't have these games. You get three or four chances to score runs with a runner on third and less than two outs, you can't let them get out of that."

Toronto will hit the road for a three-game set in Texas against the Rangers beginning on Friday (8:05 p.m. ET).