Rays 4, Indians 1
CLEVELAND -- Joey Butler, Asdrubal Cabrera and Steven Souza hit solo home runs to lead the streaking Tampa Bay Rays to a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Indians on Friday night at Progressive Field.
The Rays, who lead the American League East, won seven of their last eight games and 15 of their last 20. They are 13-5 in the month of June.
Right-hander Nathan Karns (4-3) pitched into the sixth inning to get the win. Karns held Cleveland to one run on six hits with four strikeouts and one walk. Right-hander Brad Boxberger pitched the ninth inning to pick up his 17th save. Right-hander Carlos Carrasco (8-6) held Tampa Bay to three runs over 6 2/3 innings, but took the loss.
Leading 2-1, the Rays scored an insurance run and knocked Carrasco out of the game in the seventh inning. Second baseman Logan Forsythe led off the inning with a single but when he tried to stretch the single into a double he was thrown out at second by left fielder Michael Brantley.
Right fielder Souza reached on an infield single, and he went to third on a single by shortstop Cabrera. A sacrifice fly by Jake Elmore scored Souza to give the Rays a 3-1 lead.
Tampa Bay added another run in the ninth on a solo home run by Souza over the left field wall off right-hander Scott Atchison.
The Rays hit home runs in each of the first two innings off Carrasco to take an early lead. With one out in the first inning, Butler belted his sixth home run over the wall in center field to give Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead.
Cleveland tied it with a run in the bottom of the first inning off Karns. Second baseman Jason Kipnis led off the bottom of the first with a double to left field. Kipnis went to third on a bunt single by shortstop Francisco Lindor, then scored the tying run on a wild pitch.
In the second inning, shortstop Cabrera, who played eight years in Cleveland before the Indians traded him at mid-season last year, pounded a home run, his fourth, over the right field wall as the Rays took a 2-1 lead.
NOTES: Indians manager Terry Francona announced that RHP Cody Anderson will be recalled from Triple-A Columbus to start Sunday against Tampa Bay. Anderson will assume the spot in the rotation previously held by RHP Shaun Marcum, who was designated for assignment on Thursday. ... The Indians signed LHP Brady Aiken, their first-round pick in the June draft. Aiken is recovering from elbow reconstruction surgery in March and will not pitch this season. ... RHP Nathan Karns started Friday night for Tampa Bay. It was the 30th start by a Rays rookie pitcher this season, the most in the majors.