Tampa Bay starter Ryan Pepiot dominated over five no-hit innings, and the Rays opened a crucial four-game home series by notching their season-best seventh straight win, 4-2, over the Guardians on Thursday night.
Pepiot (11-10) used 90 pitches to overwhelm Cleveland, which managed just two walks and a hit batter against the fireballing right-hander, who struck out six.
Christopher Morel was 3 for 4 with two runs and an RBI. Jake Mangum had two hits, a walk, run and a stolen base. Carson Williams singled, drove in two and walked as the Rays (71-69) won for the 10th time in 12 games.
Jose Ramirez had two hits and homered while Kyle Manzardo went deep for Cleveland (69-70), which did not put a runner in scoring position and fell to 5-10 in its past 15 games.
Over five frames, starting pitcher Logan Allen (7-11) yielded four runs (three earned) on six hits. He fanned four and walked two.
After dropping two of three games last week in Cleveland, the Rays broke through with an unearned run after shortstop Gabriel Arias committed a two-out throwing error in the first inning. Morel made the visitors pay by lashing a single to left for a 1-0 lead.
Pepiot cruised through the opposition over four innings, not allowing a hit but having to endure a lengthy delay after home plate umpire Austin Jones received a bloodied chin after taking a foul ball straight back plus a mound repair.
The home side was able to add another tally in the fourth after Morel opened with a single and Mangum walked. After both runners tagged up, Williams grounded a two-out infield single in the hole between third and short to double the Rays’ lead.
With Pepiot out after five innings, Cleveland managed its first hit when Ramirez lined a two-out single to right center in the sixth.
However, Tampa Bay created a gap with small ball in the sixth, using two sacrifice bunts to plate a pair. Pinch hitter Josh Lowe’s fielder’s choice and Williams’ safety squeeze pushed it to 4-0.
Ramirez and Manzardo went back-to-back off Pete Fairbanks in the ninth, but Fairbanks rallied with three straight outs.
