Jose Bautista hit a tie-breaking solo homer in the top of the seventh inning that lifted the Toronto Blue Jays to a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in a spring training bout.

Eugenio Velez tacked on a solo homer of his own in the eighth to give the Blue Jays some insurance, while Colby Rasmus also went deep in the win.

Claudio Vargas and Brett Cecil combined for five scoreless innings for Toronto, with Vargas not allowing a hit over the first 2 2/3 frames and Cecil yielding just one over the next 2 1/3.

Tampa Bay starter Roberto Hernandez also pitched well, limiting the Jays to one run on three hits without a walk over six solid innings.

The Rays' only run came in the sixth, when Evan Longoria doubled and James Loney later knocked home pinch-runner Ryan Roberts with a single.

Game Notes