Rays beat Diamondbacks to win series between 1998 expansion teams
Published
PHOENIX (AP) — Luke Raley homered in the first inning, Wander Franco and Josh Lowe drove in two runs each in a five-run third and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1 Thursday.
Tampa Bay won two of three in a series between the 1998 expansion teams. The Rays lead the major leagues at 56-28, while Arizona tops the NL West at 48-34.
Diamondbacks right fielder Corbin Carroll left after four innings with right shoulder soreness.
Yonny Chirinos (4-3) allowed one run and seven hits over six-plus innings of relief that followed opener Zack Littell. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit his 12th homer of the season leading off the seventh.
Brandon Pfaadt (0-3) allowed six runs and seven hits in two-plus innings, raising his ERA to 9.82. He was recalled from Triple-A to make the his sixth start.
Raley put the Rays ahead in the first with his 13th homer. He also singled and was hit by a pitch.
Franco hit a two-run triple in the third and scored on Harold Ramírez’s single for a 4-0 lead. Isaac Paredes walked and Lowe chased Pfaadt witha two-run single.
MAC IS BACK
Rays ace Shane McClanahan said he feels “ready to go” and is scheduled to start Friday at Seattle. The left-hander came out of a start June 22 at Kansas City after 3 2/3 innings due to mid-back tightness.
“I feel good,” said McClanahan, who at 11-1 with a 2.23 ERA. “I can do a better job of taking preventative measures to combat this thing in the future.”
McClanahan threw his regular bullpen session on Sunday and said he did the rest of his between-starts routine without any problems.
“I know he’s gotten a lot of treatment over the last week,” manager Kevin Cash said. “We’ll key on how the ball is coming out of his hand and how his back is feeling.”
STREAKING
Arizona's Christian Walker extended his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games with a second-inning double. Ketel Marte walked in the third and has reached base in 22 consecutive games, the majors’ longest active streak.
ROSTER MOVE
To make room for Pfaadt on the roster, the Diamondbacks optioned reliever Justin Martinez to Reno after Wednesday night’s game.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays INF Taylor Walls (back) did not play in the series but expects to be back on Friday. ... OF Randy Arozarena had a scheduled day off.
NEXT
Rays: McClanahan faces Mariners RHP Bryce Miller (5-3, 3.88) in Seattle on Friday.
Diamondbacks: LHP Tommy Henry (4-1, 4.31) goes against Angels RHP Griffin Canning (6-2, 3.99) on Friday in Los Angeles.