Devil Rays 6, Blue Jays 5

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Jorge Sosa allowed two runs over five innings in his first start of the season and Robert Fick hit a two-run homer to lead the Tampa Bay Devil Rays over the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5.

Sosa (3-0) was moved into the rotation after 29 relief appearances when Victor Zambrano was traded Friday to the New York Mets. He gave up four hits, two walks and struck out five.

Carlos Delgado homered in his two at-bats against Sosa, giving the Toronto slugger homers in five straight at-bats off the Tampa Bay right-hander.

Delgado hit two homers in two at-bats against Sosa last Sept. 25. He had four homers in that contest, won 10-8 by the Blue Jays.

That game on Sept. 25 was also Sosa’s last start. He didn’t figure in the decision of that game at Skydome. Delgado’s streak started with a homer last Sept. 10.

Delgado put the Blue Jays up 1-0 in the second and hit another solo shot two innings later to pull Toronto to 6-2. Delgado is 8-for-15 with five homers against Sosa.

Travis Harper replaced Sosa in the sixth and struck out Delgado swinging.

Fick gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead with a two-run homer in the second.

The Devil Rays ended starter David Bush’s night during a four-run third that made it 6-1. Aubrey Huff hit a two-run double, Julio Lugo had an RBI grounder and Geoff Blum drove in a run with a single.

Bush (1-2) gave up six runs and eight hits in 2 2-3 innings. In his previous start, Bush allowed three runs over 7 1-3 innings for his first major league win in Toronto’s 5-3 victory over the Devil Rays last Sunday.

The Blue Jays cut the deficit to 6-4 in the eighth when Eric Hinske hit a two-run homer off Harper. After Vernon Wells singled, Trever Miller replaced Harper and struck out Delgado and then induced a double play from Gregg Zaun.

Danys Baez gave up a run-scoring groundout in the ninth before finishing for his 21st save in 23 opportunities.

Notes: Sosa is the 12th different starting pitcher for the Devil Rays this season. … It was Delgado’s first multihomer game since his four home run game last September and 37th overall. … Tampa Bay recalled RHP John Webb from Double-A Montgomery. … Zaun, who was hit on the left wrist by a pitch Wednesday, was back in the starting line up. … Huff has 16 RBIs in his last 16 games.

AP-ES-07-31-04 2058EDT