TORONTO (Interstat) — Griffin Jax pitched six innings of three-hit ball, Victor Mesa Jr. drove in two runs and the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 on Wednesday night at Rogers Centre before 42,841 fans in a game that lasted 2 hours, 39 minutes.

Jax improved to 6-7, allowing one earned run while striking out five and walking one. The right-hander rebounded sharply from his previous start July 17 at Boston, when he gave up seven earned runs in five innings of a 10-0 loss. Jax scattered singles in the first, fourth and fifth innings and retired the side in order in the third and sixth.

Bryan Baker pitched a perfect ninth inning with one strikeout to earn his 26th save. Kevin Kelly worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief with one strikeout. The Rays improved to 59-42, while Toronto dropped to 46-56.

Toronto struck first in the bottom of the first inning. Nathan Lukes led off with a walk, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed with a double to right field that sent Lukes to third. George Springer then grounded out to first baseman Jonathan Aranda, scoring Lukes. Guerrero advanced to third but was left stranded when Yohendrick Piñango struck out.

Tampa Bay tied the game in the second against Blue Jays starter Braydon Fisher. Cedric Mullins walked, Chandler Simpson walked and Mesa sliced a single to center field that brought home Simpson. Mesa stole second but was left there when Taylor Walls struck out and Richie Palacios lined out.

Both starting pitchers settled in after that. Fisher, making a spot start, went 1 1/3 innings and allowed one run on one hit, striking out one and walking three. Toronto used six pitchers in total. Spencer Miles was the most effective Blue Jays reliever, throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits with four strikeouts.

The game remained tied at 1-1 until the top of the sixth, when Tampa Bay erupted for three runs off Jeff Hoffman, who took the loss and fell to 5-7. Yandy Díaz reached on a fielding error by center fielder Daulton Varsho and moved to second. After Aranda struck out, Junior Caminero singled to center, putting runners at the corners. Mullins was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Simpson then lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Díaz to give Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead.

Mesa followed with a single to left that scored Caminero and sent Mullins to second. Walls laid down a soft bunt single to third, loading the bases. Ben Williamson walked, forcing in Mullins and making it 4-1. Hoffman struck out Nick Fortes to end the inning, but the damage was done.

Toronto got one back in the seventh. Alejandro Kirk led off with a solo home run to left-center field, his third of the season, cutting the deficit to 4-2. But Kelly retired the next three batters in order, and Baker closed the door in the ninth. Kirk went 2-for-3 with the homer and an RBI single earlier.

Toronto threatened in the fourth when Piñango singled and Kirk singled, but a throwing error by Mesa allowed Piñango to reach third. Varsho struck out to end the inning.

The Rays had a chance to add insurance in the fifth when Walls doubled to right field but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple on a strong relay from right fielder Lukes to shortstop Andrés Giménez.

Tampa Bay outhit Toronto 8-4. Mesa finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a walk and a stolen base. Caminero went 2-for-4 with a run scored. For Toronto, Kirk had two hits and drove in the only Blue Jays run beyond the first inning.

The victory gave Tampa Bay its third straight win in the four-game series, following 12-2 and 7-1 routs on Monday and Tuesday. The Rays have now won seven of the nine meetings between the two clubs this season.

Toronto’s pitching staff issued five walks and hit one batter, while Tampa Bay pitchers walked two and hit none.

The game featured two successful replay challenges. In the second inning, a pitch to Mullins was confirmed after a challenge by Tampa Bay. In the seventh, a called third strike against Toronto’s Myles Straw was overturned after a challenge, but Straw was ultimately called out on strikes on the next pitch.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of 5-4 in favor of Tampa Bay. Interstat’s ELO system gave Toronto a 51.60 percent probability to win. Tampa Bay was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total of six runs went over the over-under line of eight.

The teams conclude the series Thursday afternoon. Tampa Bay then returns home to host Cleveland, while Toronto travels to Boston.