THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Matt Garza and two relievers combined on a six-hitter and Carlos Pena homered to lead AL East-leading Tampa Bay past Toronto 1-0 Wednesday night.
Garza (11-7) allowed six hits and three walks with five strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings for the Rays. Grant Balfour got the final out in the eighth before Dan Wheeler pitched the ninth for his ninth save in 11 chances.
Pena provided the scoring with a solo homer in the fourth, his 27th of the season and sixth over his past 13 games.
Blue Jays rookie David Purcey gave up five hits and struck out a career-high 11 in eight innings for his first career complete game. The left-hander was coming off a start Aug. 20 against the New York Yankees in which he allowed five earned runs and seven hits in four innings.
Purcey struck out 10 and allowed just three hits - two by Pena, including the homer - in the first five innings. He previous high for strikeouts was eight.
The Blue Jays got one hit, including a third-inning double by Joe Inglett, in each of the first four innings, but failed to score.
Garza retired nine in a row after Lyle Overbay's single with two outs in the fourth. Matt Stairs ended the stretch with a two-out single in the seventh. After a single by Rod Barajas put runners on first and second, John McDonald popped out.
Alex Rios and Vernon Wells drew two-out walks in the eighth to end Garza's night. Balfour entered and struck out Adam Lind on three pitches.
The announced attendance was just 12,678, the fifth straight Rays' home game with a crowd under 20,000.
