Carlos Villanueva and the bullpen shutout the Rays

Carlos Villanueva has been the best starter for the Jays over the last two seasons with 10-7 record and given up 139 hits in 138.2 and 64 earned runs (4.15 ERA) in 24 starts over the last two seasons and is really putting together a good resume for the Jays and the rest of the league to take notice and will be making some coin as a free agent in the off season. So Carlos Villanueva came into the game with a 0-4 record in the month of August and came in and just controlled the Rays on 5 hits over 6 innings and a walk while he k'd 7 batters. He gave up two singles to open the second and then after a sac bunt he got a pop up behind the plate and a strike out to end the inning and retired 9 straight batters including striking out 6 straight to tie a team record and in the fifth with two on Rajai Davis made a diving catch to end the inning. The Jays came out of fire in the bottom of the first against Matt Moore who had come into the game with a 4 game win streak and had given up 7 runs in his last 6 starts and they attacked him before he could get comfortable as Edwin Encarnacion walked which was followed by a single by Adam Lind and Yunel Escobar walked to load the bases which lead to Kelly Johnson hitting a two-run double that accounted for the only runs of the game. Kelly Johnson and Yunel Escobar both had two of the Jays 7 hits in the game which was huge for the middle field of the Jays who have been underachieving with the bats. The Rays losing 2-0 is the 6 time in August that they had been shutout and 4 of the first 5 were 1-0 shutouts and they are still in the heart of the playoff race only 1.5 behind the A's and O's. The reason for this is pitchers like Matt Moore 6 hits and 3 walks in 6 innings and held the Jays off the board after the first inning. The Jays bullpen of Darren Oliver, Brad Lincoln, and Casey Janssen who picked up his 18 save in 21 opportunities went 9 up and 9 down with 4ks to close the game down like the bullpen has done so well this season even though they not been put in the position with a lead after 6 innings. Jays stop a 5 game losing streak against the Rays Tom Mehegan