Rays belt four homers to beat Indians
Ryan Yarbrough allowed two runs over a career-high 7 1/3 innings and Tommy Pham and Willy Adames each homered to highlight their three-hit performances as the visiting Tampa Bay Rays recorded a 7-2 win over the Cleveland Indians on Thursday.
Pham, who extended his hitting streak to nine games with the first-inning homer, added an RBI single in the sixth as Tampa Bay sent Cleveland to its season-high fourth straight loss.
Avisail Garcia and Kevin Kiermaier each homered for the second time in as many games, with the latter coming after Indians outfielders Leonys Martin and Tampa native Oscar Mercado collided in left-center field in the sixth inning. The ball squirted into left field as Kiermaier's inside-the-park homer scored three runs to give the Rays a 6-0 lead.
Yarbrough (3-1), who was recalled from Triple-A Durham prior to the game, allowed just one hit over five scoreless innings before Jordan Luplow ripped a two-run double into the left-field corner with two outs in the sixth. The left-hander settled down to retire the next five batters he faced and exited after surrendering four hits.
Yarbrough's outing eclipsed his previous high of seven innings, set in a 2-0 loss to Baltimore on May 25, 2018.
Three of the first six Tampa Bay batters belted a solo homer to give the visiting club a quick 3-0 lead.
Pham launched an 0-1 changeup from Adam Plutko (1-1) just inside the foul pole in left field for his seventh homer of the season. Garcia doubled the advantage in the first inning by sending an 0-1 slider over the wall in center for his ninth homer of the season.
Adames continued the power display to lead off the second inning by depositing an 0-1 fastball over the wall in center for his fourth homer of the season and third in six games.
Kiermaier's three-run homer pushed the lead to 6-0 in the sixth before Andrew Velazquez doubled to chase Plutko. Oliver Perez retired the first batter he faced before Pham singled home Velazquez to cap the four-run inning.
--Field Level Media
