Rays defeat Tigers, snap three-game slide
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays ended a three-game losing streak Tuesday night, getting a strong six-plus innings from Matt Andriese in a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers at Tropicana Field.
The Rays (7-8) got an offensive boost from Tim Beckham, who came in with one RBI all season but hit a two-run homer in the third. Tampa Bay's Kevin Kiermaier finally got his first RBI of the season to drive in Beckham in the seventh with an RBI double.
Detroit (8-5) managed only four hits, held in check by Andriese (1-0) to end a six-game winning streak against the Rays.
The Rays, leading 2-1 in the sixth, got a two-out RBI single from Derek Norris to extend the lead on Detroit starter Michael Fulmer (1-1).
Tampa Bay added two runs off reliever Kyle Ryan in the seventh, with the RBI double by Kiermaier followed by Brad Miller's run-scoring single.
Tampa Bay's bullpen, which struggled with a 6.85 ERA during the Rays' 1-6 road trip, stepped up in a big way Tuesday.
Andriese left with two runners on and no outs in the seventh, but Danny Farquhar got two outs and Tommy Hunter closed out the seventh with one pitch, with Jumbo Diaz pitching a 1-2-3 eighth.
Closer Alex Colome pitched a perfect ninth to keep his season ERA at 0.00.
Beckham, who came into the game hitting .200 with one RBI in 40 at-bats, hit his second home run of the season in the third inning. Designated hitter Shane Peterson, making his home debut with the Rays, reached base on a single and scored on Beckham's blast to left field.
The Rays managed four hits in the first five innings against Fulmer, who had a 0.64 ERA in two dominating starts against the Rays last season.
Andriese gave up a first-inning solo home run to Miguel Cabrera but was otherwise untouched, holding Detroit to four hits. The home run, a 451-foot blast to center field, was Cabrera's third of the season.
NOTES: Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera's home run tied him with Jeff Bagwell and Vladimir Guerrero for 38th on baseball's all-time career list. He needs three more to catch Carl Yastrzemski at 452 for 37th, and 10 more to catch Jose Canseco and Adam Dunn for 35th. ... The Rays are 6-4 when facing right-handed starters this season and 1-4 against lefties. ... Tampa Bay lost two one-run games in its series at Boston, dropping them to 3-18 in one-run games on the road since the start of the 2016 season.