September 13, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zack Littell (52) throws a pitch in the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory photo credit: David Richard-Imagn Images Zack Littell allowed just two hits in six scoreless innings, Logan Driscoll hit his first career home run and Jonathan Aranda also hit a home run as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 on Friday night.
Littell (7-9) allowed only a double by Jose Ramirez in the first inning and a triple by Jhonkensy Noel in the second. The right-hander, who did not allow a run in five innings in Baltimore on Sunday, also struck out five without a walk, extending his streak of scoreless innings to 13 for the Rays (73-75), who have won the first two of this four-game series after losing all three games in Philadelphia earlier this week.
Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee (11-8) allowed all three runs on those two Tampa Bay home runs and finished the game with eight hits allowed and nine strikeouts in six innings. David Fry’s RBI double that hit the top of the 19-foot-high left outfield wall in the eighth inning was the only point for the AL Central-leading Guardians (84-64), who have combined for three runs and nine hits in the first two games of this set.
Tampa Bay opened the scoring mode in the third when it began the period with four consecutive hits against Bibee. After Jose Siri narrowly missed the center field wall for a leadoff triple, Driscoll sent a no-doubt smash into the right field seats for his milestone home run and a 2-0 Rays lead.
Rays teammate Christopher Morel hit a single to right later in the inning, but then had to leave the field immediately because of pain in his right Achilles tendon, the team said.
One inning later, Aranda slammed a pitch from Bibee into the front row of right field seats, giving Tampa Bay a 3-0 lead.
Rays relief pitchers Kevin Kelly, Mason Montgomery and Edwin Uceta (three saves), who pitched 1 2/3 innings, combined for two hits and Cleveland’s only run.
Siri had two goals for Tampa Bay, which clinched the season series against the Guardians by improving its record to 4-1 in 2024.
Noel, on the other hand, was responsible for half of Cleveland’s four hits.
–Field level media
