Chad Jenkins debut was good but Jays clutch hitting was not

Chad Jenkins pitched very well and deserved much better than a loss as Tampa Bay Rays as he went 5 innings and gave up a run on two hits along with a walk while he k'd 4 Rays and hitting Desmond Jennings along the way in an impressive major league debut. The 25-year-old from Chattanooga Tennessee throw 66 pitches but it was his tenth pitch of the game that was decision maker in the game as B.J. Upton hit a solo jack on the sixth pitch he saw from Jenkins. After walking Ben Zobrist after the homer he retired 14 of the next 15 batters to end his appearance as Jennings was doubled off by a double play in the third and Matt Joyce had a double in the fifth and did not score. The Jays had their chances against Rays starter Jeremy Hellickson as with two outs in the third Yunel Escobar and Kelly Johnson both singled and Moses Sierra was unable to continue the inning and tie the game as he grounded out to end the inning. With two on and two outs in the fifth Brett Lawrie struck out to end the inning with a surprising stat of of 0 for 17 with runners on the corners and then Kelly Johnson stepped up in the sixth against reliever Jake McGee who Adam Lind had a huge two-run RBI triple but tonight McGee after Johnson fouled off the first four pitches with two outs and the bases loaded struck him out on a fastball to close the inning. In the seventh inning the Jays had their third straight chance to tie up the game as Anthony Gose doubled with one out and moved to third on a fly ball to Center by Brett Lawrie and then J.P. Howell the relief pitcher for the Rays saved the lead with a snag of a ball behind the mound of the bat of Colby Rasmus and got him at first on a close play and Gose would of tied the game if Rasmus had beaten it out to tie up the game. Evan Longoria blew the game wide open for the Rays in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run double and Fernando Rodney came in and gave up a single Yunel Escobar who liked the quiet Tropicana field as he collect three hits in the game but Rodney then set down the Jays 1-2-3 for his 44 save. Hellickson pitched 5.2 and gave up no runs on 5 hits and walked 2 while he k'd 6 Jays Tom Mehegan