Rays 5, Diamondbacks 2
Roberto Hernandez pitched his first complete game of the season and Yunel Escobar belted a solo homer while knocking in two runs as host Tampa Bay won for the 10th time in 11 interleague games.
Hernandez (6-11) lost his shutout with two outs in the ninth on a two-run homer by Eric Chavez, one of five hits he allowed while striking out six. Ben Zobrist recorded three hits and two RBIs as the Rays improved to 21-4 in July, which clinches their best month in franchise history.
Aaron Hill registered two hits for Arizona, which has lost seven of its 11 games since the All-Star break. Ian Kennedy (3-8) extended his winless streak to 10 starts, giving up three runs and six hits while striking out seven over five innings for the Diamondbacks.
Desmond Jennings led off with a double, quickly scoring on Zobrist’s single, and James Loney doubled in another run as the Rays took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The game was delayed 20 minutes by a partial power outage in the second, and two innings later Escobar extended the lead to 3-0 on an opposite-field blast to right.
Matt Joyce walked and moved to third on the first of Jose Molina’s two singles before scoring on Escobar’s sacrifice fly in the sixth. The Rays turned two double plays for Hernandez, who threw 102 pitches for his eighth career complete game to help Tampa Bay maintain a half-game lead atop the American League East.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Tampa Bay's previous best month came in June 2004, when it finished 20-6. … Chavez batted fourth as the designated hitter, going 1-for-3 with a walk. … Tampa Bay RF Wil Myers singled in the third to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.