TORONTO (AP) — Ricky Romero spent the past two winters tinkering with his changeup.

All that extra work is starting to pay off.

Romero pitched four-hit ball over eight innings, Rod Barajas, Adam Lind and Scott Rolen each homered and the Toronto Blue Jays ended the Tampa Bay Rays' seven-game winning streak with a 5-0 victory yesterday.

"(Romero) throws a decent fastball but he has an above average changeup," Tampa Bay slugger Pat Burrell said. "He was mixing it up and locating it fairly well. We just weren't able to make the adjustment."

Barajas said Romero's off-speed pitch has few equals.

"I've caught some good changeups and he's right up there with the best I've caught," Barajas said.

A first-round draft pick in 2005, Romero didn't reach Triple-A until last season after scuffling in the low minors. Finally harnessing his changeup helped him land him a rotation spot with Toronto this spring.

"That was one of my pitches the past two offseasons," Romero said. "Just working on that pitch, trying to throw the hell out of it when I played catch. It's just getting better every time."

Romero (6-3), who took a no-hitter into the seventh in his last start, matched the longest outing of his career in winning his third straight start. He walked four, struck out seven and lowered his ERA to 2.85.

Romero is 5-1 in his past six starts and has not allowed a run in his past 20 innings.

"He's good," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "He's going to be very good for a long time if he stays healthy."

Jason Frasor pitched the ninth to complete the four-hitter, the Blue Jays' sixth shutout.

Toronto snapped a four-game losing streak thanks to a trio of solo home runs off James Shields (6-6).

Barajas connected with one out in the seventh. Lind and Rolen hit consecutive shots in the eighth, the third time this season the Blue Jays have gone back-to-back.

James Shields allowed five runs — four earned — and seven hits in 7 1-3 innings. He walked one and struck out eight.

"I felt great, I thought I batted today," said a frustrated Shields, who dropped to 1-4 on the road.

Shields retired the first eight Toronto batters before Jose Bautista hit an infield single in the third. Scutaro followed with an RBI double down the left-field line, his first hit in 18 at-bats.