Rays Get Homers From Lowe, Diaz to Snap Out of Funk, Beating Guardians 6-4

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Sometimes it takes a lot to snap out a funk, and the Tampa Bay Rays know that all too well. Having lost six of seven games since winning the first game out of the All-Star break, they needed a win in the worst way on Saturday.

And they got it.

They did it with a variety of good things, too, beating the Cleveland Guardians 6-4 before a loud crowd of 22,759 at Tropicana Field. Here's a snapshot of those good things:

• They got five great innings out of starter Corey Kluber — he pitched six, and we'll get to that in a minute.
• They hit two multi-run home runs in the same game for the first time in nearly two weeks, getting two-run homers from second baseman Brandon Lowe and third baseman Yandy Diax that helped Tampa Bay build a 5-1 lead.
• They got a late insurance run on an eighth-inning RBI single from Brett Phillips, who was honored with a basketball jersey giveaway on Sunday and picked up just his eighth hit in 90 at-bats since June 1.
• Their bullpen was fabulous, with Jason Adam, the struggling Colin Poche and Pete Fairbanks all pitching scoreless innings in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings respectively. Fairbanks got the save, his second of the week.

"Klubs threw the ball well for us today, but any pitcher is going to tell you that getting a two-run homer from Brandon (in the first inning) was big to give a little bit of breathing room. I was encouraged by that,'' Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

"Nice crowd today, and we'll take all the contributions we can get. That's kind of what we've talked about in getting out these offensive stretches where you're kind of quiet, piece together a lot of base runners and have somebody hit it over the fence.''

The Rays have been scuffling at the plate, scoring just 10 runs in these recent losses, but they jumped all over Cleveland starter Zach Plesac early on Saturday. Luke Raley drew a one-out walk ahead of Lowe's long home run to right in the first inning. It was his seventh of the year, but his first at the Trop since April 14.  

They added another run in the second when Taylor Walls walked, and scored from first on a double to left by catcher Rene Pinto to make it 3-1.

The Indians finally got on the board in the fourth but the Rays answered with two more in the fifth on Diaz's two-run homer, his fifth of the year. It was the first time all season and Lowe and Diaz both homered in the same game.

"It's always important to score first, and it was good that we were able to do that in this game,'' Diaz said through interpreter Manny Navarro. "It's good that we were finally able to get this game. Whenever B-Lowe is in the lineup, it's a different lineup. He's a different animal in there, and I'm glad he back.''