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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME LOG
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Brad Fullmer was just a double away
from a perfect day.
Fullmer, who went 4-for-4 with a walk and four RBI, lacked only
a two-base hit for the cycle as the Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay
Devil Rays 12-3 on Thursday.
"The biggest thing is I've hit for the cycle twice, and I
didn't want anybody else to do it," joked Toronto manager Jim
Fregosi.
|  | | Tony Batista congratulates Brad Fullmer after Fullmer's three-run homer. |
Fullmer homered, tripled and singled twice in his third career
four-hit game.
It looked like Fuller might get the elusive double in the
seventh inning. He hit a liner to left that appeared headed to the
fence, but Tampa Bay's Bubba Trammell cut the ball the ball off and
Fullmer stopped at first.
"If it was meant to happen, that ball goes to the wall,"
Fullmer said. "I stand by my decision. You can't make a mockery of
the game for a little glory.
"I'm not the fastest individual," added Fullmer, who noted he
would have been razzed even more if he had been thrown out by
30-feet.
Fullmer and Jose Cruz Jr. hit three-run homers as Toronto went
deep four times in winning its seventh consecutive series.
"I'm just happy to contribute, drive in some runs," Fullmer
said. "This is nice. I haven't been on a team this good. It's fun
to show up and contribute every day."
Frank Castillo (5-5) won his fourth straight start for the Blue
Jays, who have won seven of eight and taken over first place in the
AL East.
Castillo allowed three runs and 10 hits over eight innings. The
right-hander, who hasn't had a complete game since April 28, 1996,
struck out eight and walked two.
"I was just hoping to keep them down, take it pitch by pitch
and not try to get six outs in an inning," said Castillo, who
admitted he was tired after working eight innings. "When you try
and get ahead of yourself, the next thing you know the bases are
loaded."
Raul Mondesi and Tony Batista hit two-run homers as Toronto took
two of three at Tampa Bay, the first stop on a 13-game road trip.
Cruz hit his second homer in two days and Fullmer had a
run-scoring triple during a four-run third. Mondesi's homer made it
10-1 in the fourth, while Batista's shot closed out the scoring in
the ninth.
Toronto has homered in 65 of 79 games and has 133 for the
season. The Blue Jays had a team-best streak of home runs in 23
consecutive games snapped Tuesday.
Toronto's Carlos Delgado extended his career-best hitting streak
to 22 games with a first-inning RBI double.
Mike DiFelice hit a solo homer for the Devil Rays, who are 15-11
since May 31 when they were a season-worst 18 games under .500.
Cory Lidle (1-3) gave up nine runs and seven hits in 3 1/3
innings. Tampa Bay has lost back-to-back games for just the second
time in the past three weeks.
"They hit everything I threw," Lidle said. "I didn't fool
them at all. They're free swingers and got the best of me today."
Castillo worked out trouble in the first, third and fourth
innings.
The Devil Rays loaded the bases with none out in the bottom of
the first, but managed just one run on Bobby Smith's sacrifice fly.
"It's frustrating, " said Castillo, who walked the first
hitter he faced after being given a 4-0 lead. "You know the guys
are saying, 'Let's go. We give you runs and then you're doing
this."'
Tampa Bay had runners on first and second in the third, but were
stymied when Mondesi made a two-out diving catch in right field on
a drive by Jose Guillen.
A fourth-inning Tampa Bay uprising was stopped when Randy Winn
lined into a double play with two runners on.
"We had our chances early on and just didn't get it done,"
Tampa Bay manager Larry Rothschild said. "They did and it probably
reserved the game."
The Devil Rays left eight runners stranded, including six
through four innings.
Game notes
The Blue Jays (44-35) are a season-high nine games over
.500. ... Fred McGriff, who left Wednesday's game after six innings
with a right shin bruise, went 1-for-4. He was hitless in three
at-bats through five innings with six runners on base. ... Fullmer
has seven homers over the past 15 games. ... The Devil Rays have
homered in a team-record nine straight games.
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ALSO SEE
Baseball Scoreboard
Toronto Clubhouse
Tampa Bay Clubhouse
RECAPS
Toronto 12
Tampa Bay 3
Minnesota 10
Chi. White Sox 1
Texas 3
Oakland 1
Seattle 7
Anaheim 2
Boston 12
Baltimore 4
NY Yankees 8
Detroit 0
Kansas City 6
Cleveland 1
St. Louis 12
Cincinnati 3
Milwaukee 8
Philadelphia 6
Colorado 11
San Francisco 4
Pittsburgh 5
Chicago Cubs 4
Atlanta 6
NY Mets 4
San Diego 5
Los Angeles 4
Arizona 7
Houston 1
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