ARGOS 38 BOMBERS 21

TORONTO (CP) – Ricky Ray threw four touchdown passes to lead the Toronto Argonauts past the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 38-21 on Tuesday night.

Ray finished 26-of-33 passing for 297 yards to earn Toronto (3-4) its second straight win for a four-point lead atop the East Division standings. But the Argos don’t have much time to relish the victory, before an announced season-high Rogers Centre gathering of 18,106, as they’re back in action Sunday night hosting the B.C. Lions (4-3).

However it was sweet redemption for Toronto, which dropped a season-opening 45-21 loss in Winnipeg. And Ray engineered the impressive victory without regular receivers Andre Durie (clavicle), Chad Owens (foot), Jason Barnes (knee), John Chiles (hamstring) and heralded rookie Anthony Coombs (shoulder).

Winnipeg (5-3) suffered its second straight loss following a 23-17 home defeat to Saskatchewan on Thursday. It also spoiled Bombers coach Mike O’Shea’s return to Rogers Centre.

Ray cemented the victory with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Watt that rounded out the scoring at 11:35 of the fourth. Ray put Toronto ahead 28-21 just 58 seconds into the quarter with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Steele after Cleyon Laing recovered former Argo Romby Bryant’s fumble at the Winnipeg 49-yard line.

Bryant had a 76-yard touchdown grab on the next series but it was negated by a hands-to-the-face penalty on Winnipeg. Swayze Waters’ 18-yard field goal at 6:51 boosted Toronto’s head to 31-21.

NOTES – Penalties are up a whopping 29 per cent overall this season. Much of that is due to a 39 per cent increase in special-teams infractions this year … There have been 33 coach’s challenges this season, with 10 having resulted in an overturned play. Of the 33 challenges, 14 have involved pass interference calls, with just two changes being made.