Rays 10, Indians 3: Ben Zobrist homered and drove in three runs while B.J. Upton collected three hits and an RBI as Tampa Bay ended its four-game road losing streak and evened the four-game series at one apiece.
Luke Scott ended a lengthy hitless streak with a two-run homer while Jose Lobaton and Elliot Johnson each drove in two runs for the Rays, who won for just the fourth time in 12 games overall.
Scott ignited a six-run fifth by following Upton's leadoff single with his 10th home run. The blast ended Scott's franchise-record stretch of 41 consecutive at-bats without a hit.
Zobrist gave Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead in the first inning with his 11th homer of the season. After Cleveland knotted the contest, Lobaton put the Rays ahead for good with a two-run single in the third.
Johnson delivered a two-run double in the fifth, Zobrist lifted a sacrifice fly and Upton capped the uprising with an RBI single.
Alex Cobb (4-5) allowed three runs and six hits over six innings en route to just his second win in seven starts. The right-hander walked two and struck out four.
Justin Masterson (5-8) was tagged for eight runs and nine hits in only 4 1/3 frames. He issued four walks and fanned seven while falling to 1-7 lifetime against the Rays.
Shin-Soo Choo had two hits and an RBI for the Indians, who had won six of seven at home.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Scott's homer was his first hit since June 1. He fell five at-bats shy of the major-league record held by St. Louis' Eugenio Velez, who set the mark from 2010-11. Velez currently is in the minors and could extend his dubious record should he be recalled. ... Choo extended his hitting streak to nine games with a leadoff single in the first inning. ... Indians 1B Shelley Duncan was activated from the paternity list and entered the game in the ninth as a defensive replacement. To make room on the roster, the club optioned INF Jason Donald to Triple-A Columbus.
Tampa Bay | Cleveland | |
Alex Cobb | Player | Justin Masterson |
Win | W/L | Loss |
6.0 | IP | 4.1 |
4 | Strikeouts | 7 |
6 | Hits | 9 |
4.50 | ERA | 16.62 |
Tampa Bay | Cleveland | |
Melvin Upton Jr. | Player | Asdrubal Cabrera |
3 | Hits | 2 |
1 | RBI | 0 |
0 | HR | 0 |
3 | TB | 2 |
.750 | Avg | .667 |