Rays 5, Tigers 2
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Rays starter Nathan Karns took a one-hitter into the seventh inning and catcher Curt Casali hit two home runs, leading Tampa Bay to a 5-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Monday in the opener of a three-game series at Tropicana Field.
The Rays (50-51) went 13 consecutive games without scoring more than four runs, but they ended that streak when Casali hit a two-run home run in the eighth, his fourth in his past six games.
Detroit (48-51) was held to two runs or fewer for the fourth time in five games, and it lost all four of those contests.
The Tigers pulled within a run in the eighth, ending a streak of 21 straight scoreless appearances for Rays reliever Jake McGee. The left-hander gave up a two-out single to second baseman Ian Kinsler, who advanced on a wild pitch and scored on a bloop single to left by left fielder Yoenis Cespedes. McGee struck out designated hitter Victor Martinez to get out of the inning with a 3-2 lead.
Rays reliever Brad Boxberger closed out the win with a scoreless ninth, striking out two for his 25th save of the season.
Cespedes put the Tigers on the scoreboard with a solo home run to lead off the seventh inning, just the second hit for Detroit against Karns. Martinez followed with a single, and Karns was done after 71 pitches, having allowed three hits in six-plus innings. He struck out three without issuing a walk.
Karns benefited from strong defense around him, with third baseman Evan Longoria knocking down a well-hit ball and throwing from his knee in foul territory to record a highlight-reel out.
Tampa Bay's offense stepped up for a rare cushion, starting with Casali, who hit a solo home run in the third inning off Anibal Sanchez (10-8).
The Rays got back-to-back doubles in the fourth from outfielders Steven Souza and Kevin Kiermaier for a 2-0 lead
In the fifth, a two-out single by second baseman Logan Forsythe scored left fielder David DeJesus, who legged out an infield single then came home from second with a slide to beat the throw from left field.
Sanchez gave up three runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.
NOTES: Former Rays LHP David Price will pitch against his former team Tuesday night for Detroit, just his second time facing Tampa Bay since being traded at last year's deadline. He took a 1-0 loss at Tropicana Field on Aug. 21, giving up one hit in eight innings. The Rays also oppose Tigers RHP Justin Verlander on Wednesday, just the second time the team has faced Cy Young Award winners in back-to-back games. Tampa Bay lost to RHP Zack Greinke and LHP Clayton Kershaw in a road series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013. ... Detroit recalled RHP Buck Farmer from Toledo and optioned LHP Kyle Ryan to the Triple-A club. Farmer was 7-3 with a 4.15 ERA in 16 starts for Toledo. He was 0-2 with a 9.22 ERA in three games (two starts) for Detroit earlier this season. Ryan was 1-2 with a 6.19 ERA in nine games (five starts) for the Tigers.