ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- For Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco, there's some magic hidden in Tropicana Field that he can't get enough of.

Maybe it's because he lives just 35 miles up the road, in Tarpon Springs. Perhaps it's the lure of playing in a temperature-controlled dome, and knowing what to expect because of it. Carrasco himself couldn't quite pinpoint the reason behind his stellar outings there, but after flirting with a one-hit shutout on Wednesday night during his first win of the season, the right-hander was content to say he feels good at the Tampa Bay Rays stadium, and not dig too deep into why, exactly, that is.

"He likes pitching here," teammate second baseman Jason Kipnis said. "I hope he doesn't get any ideas of trying to come here any time soon, because he's pretty damn good when he pitches here."

Carrasco is now 3-0 in four career appearances (three starts) at Tropicana Field, with a 1.48 ERA. During his last start at Tampa Bay, he was one strike away from his first career no-hitter and struck out 13 on July 1, 2015.

"(Pitching here) is really good," he said. "Every time we come here, we play good. And I had about 25 people here, my friends and family. There's something about pitching here."

Carrasco took a one-hitter into the eighth inning on Wednesday, striking out eight hitters and walking one during the Indians' 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

It was the first win of the season for the right-hander, who pitched on six days' rest after two postponed games and a planned off-day on the Indians' schedule.

The Rays opened the eighth with a single but Carrasco still nearly escaped the inning unscathed until Kevin Kiermaier beat out what would have been an inning-ending double play. The next batter, Curt Casali, doubled in Kiermaier to spoil the shutout before a challenge play at the plate eventually ended the inning.

Logan Forsythe followed Casali's run-scoring hit with a single to left field, and the latter headed home on the play. Cleveland left fielder Rajai Davis' throw was up the line, but catcher Yan Gomes appeared to tag a sliding Casali out to end the inning. Tampa Bay challenged the call a moment later, but it was upheld upon review.

"No, I've got to go," Casali said, when asked if he was surprised to be sent home by third base coach Charlie Montoyo on the play. "I didn't get a great jump just because the ball was hit to my right. I should've gotten a better jump. ... That's on me, I should have scored."

Rays starter Drew Smyly took the loss despite an 11-strikeout effort that tied a career high. The left-hander walked one and allowed three hits over seven innings, but it wasn't enough to break the winless slump Tampa Bay's starters have suffered through the season's first nine games.

"I knew going into it that I had to show up, and it was probably going to be a pitching duel," Smyly said. "Carrasco has amazing stuff on the other side and he just beat us today, showed it."

Erasmo Ramirez relieved Smyly to start the eighth, and retired the first two hitters he faced before Jason Kipnis hit a 2-1 pitch into the stands well beyond the right-field wall to push Cleveland's lead to 4-1.

Indians closer Cody Allen allowed one hit in the ninth inning -- a two-out single to Corey Dickerson -- before coaxing Desmond Jennings into a strikeout to end the game. It was Allen's second save of the season.

Smyly and Carrasco controlled the game early, each disposing in order the first nine hitters they faced.

Davis spoiled the trend with a leadoff double to left field in the fourth, then came around to score on a Francisco Lindor grounder.

The Indians scored twice more in the inning to take a 3-0 lead. First, Carlos Santana hit a sacrifice fly to shallow right that scored Lindor. The throw home from second baseman Forsythe sailed over catcher Casali's head and allowed another run to cross the plate.

Logan Morrison broke up Carrasco's no-hit bid with one out in the bottom of the fourth with a ground ball to center. Morrison entered the inning with one hit and 10 strikeouts in his last 22 at-bats.

"We've got a big game tomorrow, hopefully to win the series," Kipnis said. "It's tough with the way that the season has opened up with the cold and having off day, and seeing other teams that are 10 or 11 games into it almost, and they're obviously catching their rhythm, they're getting into it, and we're still trying to get off the ground.

"I think now that we're kind of getting back to the normalcy and some sunshine, it's really going to help us give us a little bit of flow and some better at-bats."

NOTES: Indians OF Michael Brantley (right shoulder surgery) reported no problems after beginning his rehab assignment at Triple-A Columbus on Tuesday night. Cleveland manager Terry Francona said Brantley will play every other day for about a week, mixing batting practice and exercises on the off-days. ... Indians OF Lonnie Chisenhall (left wrist impingement) rested Wednesday at Columbus after playing seven innings on Tuesday. Francona said the main focus on Chisenhall is to get repetitions before he rejoins the team. ... Indians RHP Tommy Hunter (core surgery) allowed one run and three hits in one inning for Triple-A Columbus in the second game of a doubleheader on Wednesday. He threw 19 pitches, 12 for strikes. ... Tampa Bay has eight off-days scheduled during the first 47 days of the season, which has allowed the Rays to work with a four-man rotation. Manager Kevin Cash said a fifth starter will be added in time for Saturday's game against the Chicago White Sox. ... Thursday starter Chris Archer is 0-5 in his last eight starts for the Rays dating to September and has not worked past the fifth inning since Sept. 21. ... Entering Wednesday, the Tampa Bay bullpen had a combined 1.31 ERA, third best in the majors after the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs. Fifteen of the Rays' 19 appearances were scoreless.