Right-hander Carlos Villanueva pitched six shutout innings and Kelly Johnson drove in two runs with a double as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 on Thursday.
It was the second win in a row for the Blue Jays who are 8-19 in August and last in the American League East.
The Rays, who entered the day four games out of first in the division, have lost five of their past six.
Tampa dropped 1 1 /2 games behind Baltimore for the second AL wild-card berth.
Villanueva (7-4) allowed five hits and one walk while striking out seven to win his first since July 27 against the Detroit Tigers. He lost four consecutive decisions over his previous five starts.
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 struck out seven in his first loss since July 22.
The Blue Jays (59-71) scored the game's only runs in the first inning as Johnson, who was 4-for-27 on the 2-6 trip by the Blue Jays that ended Wednesday, drove in both runs with a double.
MARINERS 5, TWINS 4
MINNESOTA - Blake Beavan gave up two runs in seven innings and Trayvon Robinson drove in two runs to lift the Seattle Mariners to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
Beavan (9-8) scattered five hits, walked two and struck out one.
Kyle Seager also drove in two runs for the Mariners.
