Rays’ Pat Burrell hit 2-run homer in 11th inning to beat Blue Jays 3-1

Burrell’s 2-run homer lifts Rays over Blue Jays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Struggling slugger Pat Burrell picked an ideal time to pull out of a horrendous slump, hitting a two-run homer in the 11th inning to give the Tampa Bay Rays a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.

The AL champions stopped a four-game losing streak that included three losses to rookie pitchers, but hardly pulled out of an offensive funk — managing just two hits in six innings against Marc Rzepczynski in the 23-year-old lefty’s major league debut.

The Rays finished with four hits overall, two after the fourth inning, when Rzepczynski walked three, including Gabe Kapler with the bases loaded, to fall behind 1-0.

Scott Rolen tied it in the eighth with a run-scoring single that extended his career-best hitting streak to 24 games.

Burrell, mired in a 4-for-34 slump, hit his fourth homer of the season connecting off Brandon League (1-4). Dan Wheeler (3-1) pitched two scoreless innings to get the win for the Rays, who were outscored 25-7 during their four-game skid.

Rzepczynski, 9-5 with a 2.69 ERA in 16 starts for Double-A New Hampshire and Triple-A Las Vegas, walked four and struck out seven in six innings.

The Rays loaded the bases in the fourth on Ben Zobrist’s single and two walks. Kapler fell behind Rzepcznski in the count 0-2 before drawing four straight balls to force in the first run of the game.

After allowing four hits over the first three innings, Tampa Bay starter James Shields seemed to get stronger as the night progressed.

The Rays right-hander set the Blue Jays down in order in the fourth, fifth and sixth and had retired 11 in a row when Vernon Wells singled off the back of his leg in the seventh for his second infield hit of the night.

Shields, who gave up one run and seven hits in seven-plus innings, worked out of jams with runners in scoring position in the second, third and seventh innings before Toronto finally broke through in the eighth.

Marco Scutaro and Aaron Hill singled to end Shields’ night. Rolen’s single off Chad Bradford tied the game, and the Blue Jays threatened to take the lead when Wells singled to center off Howell with two outs.

But B.J. Upton’s perfect throw to the plate cut down Hill trying to score from second base to end the inning.

Notes: Tampa Bay’s Carl Crawford went 0-for-5, ending a 13-game hitting streak. … Rays All-Star 3B Evan Longoria, who hasn’t homered in his past 16 games, was also hitless and is in a 2-for-31 slump. … Toronto closer Scott Downs (left big toe) threw off a bullpen mound and will have his status re-evaluated Wednesday. … Blue Jays RHP Shaun Marcum (right elbow) could be ready to return in early August. He threw three scoreless innings for Single-A Dunedin Monday night.