TORONTO (Interstat) — Nick Martinez pitched six solid innings and the Tampa Bay Rays broke open a close game with a pair of unearned runs in the fifth inning, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 7-1 Monday night at Rogers Centre before an announced crowd of 40,837.

The game lasted 2 hours, 28 minutes.

Martinez earned his ninth win against two losses, allowing one run on five hits while striking out four and walking one. He lowered his ERA to 3.12. The right-hander has now won four consecutive decisions.

Dylan Cease took the loss, falling to 6-5. Cease worked six innings, surrendering three earned runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. The Blue Jays starter had won three of his previous four outings.

The victory improved the Rays to 57-42. Toronto dropped to 46-54.

Tampa Bay snapped a four-game losing streak with the win. The Rays had been swept in a four-game series at Boston over the weekend, losing 6-1, 7-6, 5-3 and 10-0. The Blue Jays had split a three-game home series against the Chicago White Sox, winning 1-0 on Saturday but losing 3-0 on Sunday.

The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Victor Mesa Jr. led off with a home run to center field, his eighth of the season. Mesa Jr. drove a 1-0 pitch from Cease over the wall.

Tampa Bay added another run in the third. Taylor Walls led off with a double and moved to third on a groundout by Yandy Díaz. Jonathan Aranda then singled to right, scoring Walls and making it 2-0.

Toronto answered in the fourth. George Springer led off with a single that deflected off third baseman Junior Caminero’s glove. After Kazuma Okamoto flied out, Daulton Varsho grounded out to second, moving Springer to third. Alejandro Kirk followed with an RBI single to right, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

The pivotal moment came in the fifth inning, when the Rays capitalized on two Toronto errors to plate two runs and stretch their lead.

Nick Fortes led off with a single to third base. The throw from Okamoto sailed past first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., allowing Fortes to advance to second. Walls sacrificed Fortes to third. Díaz then reached on a fielding error by shortstop Andrés Giménez, allowing Fortes to score and making it 3-1. Aranda popped out, but Caminero singled to left, scoring Díaz. Myles Straw’s throw to the plate was cut off, and catcher Kirk fired to second baseman Ernie Clement to catch Caminero trying to advance, but the damage was done.

Tampa Bay led 4-1 after five innings.

The Rays added a run in the sixth when Cedric Mullins led off with a homer to center, his 12th of the season, pushing the lead to 5-1.

In the seventh, Díaz singled off reliever Braydon Fisher, and Caminero followed with a double to center, scoring Díaz to make it 6-1.

Fortes provided the final margin in the ninth with a leadoff home run to left-center, his third of the year, against reliever Brendon Little. Little allowed one earned run on four hits over two innings with one strikeout.

Tampa Bay finished with 13 hits. Caminero had three hits, including two doubles and an RBI. Mesa Jr. and Fortes each homered. Díaz had two hits and scored twice. Walls added two hits and a double.

Toronto had eight hits. Springer went 2 for 3 with a walk. Nathan Lukes and Ernie Clement each had two hits. Kirk drove in the only run.

Defensive miscues hurt the Blue Jays. The two errors in the fifth inning were the difference. Okamoto’s throwing error and Giménez’s fielding error led to two unearned runs.

The Blue Jays had opportunities early but could not capitalize. In the first inning, Clement singled and Springer walked with two outs, but Okamoto flied out. In the third, Lukes singled with two outs but Guerrero flied out. Toronto left four runners on base, all stranded in scoring position.

Tampa Bay turned two double plays, including a 4-3 twin killing in the sixth and a 3-6-1 double play in the ninth.

The Rays have now played the Blue Jays six times this season, winning four of those meetings. The teams split a three-game series in Toronto in May, with the Rays taking two of three. Tampa Bay swept a three-game series at home in early May.

The series continues Tuesday with the second of four games at Rogers Centre. Tampa Bay’s scheduled starter is right-hander Taj Bradley. Toronto will send left-hander Yusei Kikuchi to the mound.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Tampa Bay 4, Toronto 3. Interstat’s ELO system projected Toronto with a 52.70 percent probability to win. The Blue Jays had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total of eight runs went under the over-under line of 7.5.