ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Toronto Blue Jays had a pinch-runner at first, a pinch-manager in bench coach DeMarlo Hale after John Gibbons' ejection, and a tiny decision came up big in the eighth inning Sunday afternoon.

Dalton Pompey stole second, and that, combined with a 3-0 count, prompted Hale to give Russell Martin the green light to swing away in a tie game. He sent the pitch over the wall in left and the Jays, down 3-1 an inning earlier, would go on to a 5-3 win to avoid a sweep against the last-place Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

"I just thought the momentum was starting to pick up in our favor," Hale said of the green light. "He had a good pitch and put a good swing on it."

The Rays (58-77) saw their bullpen spoil a strong start from starter Chris Archer, who struck out nine in six-plus innings and held the Blue Jays to five hits and two runs.

Toronto (77-59) got only 2 2/3 innings from starter J.A. Happ but got 6 1/3 innings of scoreless, two-hit relief from four relievers, holding onto a share of first place in the American League East. Robert Osuna pitched a perfect ninth for his 30th save.

"We kind of smelled the win," Hale said of tying the game in the seventh. "The dugout got a little emotional. We had the bullpen set up. The guys in the middle did their job to get the ball to (Joaquin) Benoit, (Jason) Grilli and Osuna. It's a good effort by this team, and hopefully we can carry it into New York."

Brad Boxberger inherited a runner with one out in the seventh, gave up a single and walk to load the bases, then gave up a two-run single to Devon Travis -- again productive out of the No. 9 spot in the batting order -- to tie the game.

Kevin Jepsen fared no better in the eighth, giving up a walk to Dioner Navarro and then a two-run homer to Martin, his 17th, for a 5-3 lead.

"I felt good. It's unfortunate that we couldn't win today," Archer said. "We made some great defensive plays, and Bobby Wilson did a great job behind the plate, presenting the ball well to the umpire and calling some good pitches."

Navarro had given Toronto a 1-0 lead with an RBI single to score Edwin Encarnacion, who had doubled with two outs in the top of the first. Facing 17-game winner J.A. Happ, the Rays jumped ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the first, getting an RBI double from Evan Longoria and a sacrifice fly from Matt Duffy.

The Rays extended their lead to 3-1 in the third on three straight singles from Duffy, Steven Souza and Corey Dickerson.

The Jays had plenty of chances earlier -- Encarnacion struck out with runners at second and third to end the third inning, and fouled out with the bases loaded to end the seventh with the game tied at 3-3.

"It's the big leagues and the strike zone's really small, so you have to work with it, have to figure out a way to get strikes called or get them to swing the bat," Archer said.

The Rays stay home for a three-game series against the Orioles, while Toronto now goes to the Yankees for a three-game series.

NOTES: Rays OF Kevin Kiermaier had a bunt single and home run in the same game Saturday, a first in his major league career. He has four bunt singles this year, as many as all of his Rays teammates combined. ... Jays 3B Josh Donaldson entered Sunday's game with six home runs in his previous nine games, a torrid stretch in which he is hitting .412 with 11 RBIs and another six walks. He also entered with a 12-game hitting streak, the longest active streak in the American League but behind Atlanta's Ender Inciarte (14) for the major league lead. ... Rays 2B Logan Forsythe came into Sunday's game with a .447 average against Toronto this season, tied with Wade Boggs in 1985 for sixth-best all-time.