Diaz hits two homers off Snell as Rays beat Dodgers

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Yandy Diaz hit two home runs off Blake Snell, Drew Rasmussen threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 on Saturday.

In front of a sold-out crowd of 10,046, Diaz opened the scoring in the first with a 326-foot shot off his former teammate Snell, who was making his first major league start since April 2.

Diaz hit a two-run homer in the third inning for his 20th of the season. He also singled off Snell in the fifth with a line drive to center.

Rasmussen (9–5) struck out six and scattering four hits, all singles. The Dodgers never got a runner to second base against him. They threatened with the bases loaded against Garrett Cleavinger in the sixth, but he got an inning-ending double play to hold the lead.

Snell (1–1) was charged with three runs on five hits. He was activated off the injured list Saturday morning and struck out eight in just his third start for the Dodgers since signing a $182 million deal this winter.

Junior Caminero added insurance in the sixth with his 27th home run of the season, a solo shot off Jack Dreyer.

Key moment

With one out and a runner on in the top of the sixth, Cleavinger gave up back-to-back singles to Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani, before he got Teoscar Hernandez to bounce into the inning-ending double play.

Key stat

Diaz’s leadoff home run in the first inning marked the 900th hit of his career.

Up next

The Dodgers will send right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto (9–7, 2.63 ERA) to the mound for the series finale Sunday. Joe Boyle (1–1, 2.82) starts for the Rays in their final home game before a 14-day road trip.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB