Yandy Diaz homered on the first pitch Tampa Bay saw in a three-run first inning, and the Rays squared their three-game series with the Texas Rangers by winning 3-0 on Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Ryan Vilade slugged a mammoth two-run homer three batters after Diaz went deep. The blasts gave Tampa Bay all the offense it would need to prevail for the seventh time in nine games.
Rays left-hander Ian Seymour (7-3) entered after opener Casey Legumina retired five batters and allowed just one hit. Seymour tossed 4 2/3 innings and yielded only two hits and a walk. He struck out four.
Five pitchers combined to record Tampa Bay’s ninth shutout of the year.
Texas starter MacKenzie Gore (6-9) permitted three runs on three hits in seven innings. He struck out nine, hit a batter and issued no walks. The left-hander regrouped to retire 20 of the last 21 batters he faced.
The two first-place clubs combined for seven hits, all for extra bases.
After a sluggish offensive showing by the Rays in a 4-1 loss on Tuesday, Diaz belted the opening pitch in the first inning to right, slicing his 15th home run 372 feet.
Jonathan Aranda lined a double to center before Junior Caminero struck out. Vilade then smashed a 420-foot clout off the C-ring walkway high above left-center field for his ninth shot and a 3-0 lead.
As expected, Seymour replaced Legumina early to take the bulk innings. Seymour promptly set down 14 of the first 15 batters he faced, striking out four and allowing only a one-out double to Elias Diaz in the third.
Following his rocky first inning, Gore rebounded and kept the Rays at bay. He fired six hitless innings and yielded just one baserunner, when he plunked Ben Williamson with a pitch in the fifth.
The Rangers finally built a threat with one out in the seventh when Jake Burger doubled and Nicky Lopez walked, chasing Seymour. Garrett Cleavinger entered and escaped the jam by fanning Cam Cauley and retiring Alejandro Osuna on a weak grounder in front of home plate.
Sidewinding Rays reliever Kevin Kelly struck out the side in the eighth before closer Bryan Baker posted his 29th save with a scoreless ninth.
