Wander Franco delivered a two-run triple in a five-run third inning, and Luke Raley connected on a first-inning home run to power the Tampa Bay Rays to a 6-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday afternoon in Phoenix.
After losing the series opener on Tuesday, the Rays rebounded to take the next two, claiming the series between two division leaders.
Franco, Raley and Harold Ramirez each had two hits in a game Tampa Bay broke open early.
Arizona has dropped four of its last six games. The Rays have won three of their past four.
Diamondbacks rookie outfielder Corbin Carroll exited in the fifth inning with right shoulder soreness, the team announced. Carroll is considered the midseason frontrunner for National League Rookie of the Year, and he’s also being mentioned as an MVP candidate.
Carroll showed discomfort with his shoulder after striking out in the third inning. The 22-year-old played in the fourth inning, but he was replaced by Jake McCarthy in the top of the fifth.
Rays right-hander Yonny Chirinos (4-3) was used in a bulk relief role, and gave up one run in six-plus innings. Zack Littell was the opener, tossing two scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
Robert Stephenson inherited two runners from Chirinos in the ninth inning, and closed out the game in a non-save situation. The right-hander struck out two.
The Rays chased D-backs rookie Brandon Pfaadt (0-3) in a five-run third inning. All seven batters the 24-year-old faced in the frame reached, before Arizona went to the bullpen.
The D-backs’ top pitching prospect, Pfaadt made his first big league start since May 26 against the Boston Red Sox. The right-hander was charged with six runs on seven hits in two-plus innings, raising his ERA to 9.82 in six starts.
Raley homered off Pfaadt with two outs in the first inning. It was his 13th of the season.
Vidal Brujan doubled to open the third. Franco had a two-run triple and scored on Ramirez’s RBI single. Josh Lowe ended Pfaadt’s afternoon with a two-run single, giving Tampa Bay a six-run lead.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. homered in the seventh inning, his 12th of the season, to put Arizona on the board. Christian Walker, who doubled in the second inning, extended his hitting streak to 13 games.
–Field Level Media
