Blue Jays 8, Rays 2: Jose Reyes belted a three-run homer and R.A. Dickey allowed only two hits over seven innings as visiting Toronto rolled over Tampa Bay in the opener of their three-game series.

Jose Bautista knocked in a run and joined Reyes with two hits while Danny Valencia and Dioner Navarro also went deep for the Blue Jays. Dickey (11-12) yielded two runs and struck out six as Toronto remained 5 1/2 games behind Detroit for the American League’s second wild card.

Ryan Hanigan and Kevin Kiermaier each plated a run for the Rays, who were held hitless over the last seven innings as they lost for the 11th time in 17 contests. Jeremy Hellickson (1-3) lasted only 3 1/3 frames, allowing five runs and eight hits as his winless streak reached five games.

Kevin Pillar and Josh Thole reached on infield singles with one out in the fourth before Reyes lined a 3-2 fastball from Hellickson into the right-field seats for a 5-2 advantage. Ryan Goins tripled home a run in the eighth and scored two batters later on Navarro’s pinch-hit blast to left.

Valencia hit a solo shot to left field to open the second inning, but the Rays took the lead in the bottom of the frame on Hanigan’s RBI bloop single and a sacrifice fly by Kiermaier. Reyes singled and moved to third on Melky Cabrera’s double in the third before coming home on Bautista’s infield hit to tie it at 2-2.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Bautista’s home run streak came to an end at five games, one short of the franchise record set by Jose Cruz Jr. in 2001. … Tampa Bay CF Desmond Jennings sat out his fifth game in a row with a sore left knee. … Toronto 1B Edwin Encarnacion walked four times and OF Dalton Pompey made his major-league debut by pinch-running for him in the ninth.