ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Rays got their long day Wednesday off to a good start, beating Cleveland, 8-1, in the opener of a doubleheader at Tropicana Field.
Veteran center fielder Kevin Kiermaier led the way with a career-high five RBIs, doubling in two in a three-run first and hitting a three-run homer — his first at home since 2019 — in the third.
Brandon Lowe continued his warming trend with a fourth-inning homer, his fourth in his last six games and sixth in 12 games, and his career-high 18th overall. Brett Phillips homered in the sixth. Debuting prospect Vidal Brujan knocked in the first run with a single in his first at-bat.
Michael Wacha gave the Rays six solid innings, allowing one run on four hits while striking out six. Ryan Sherriff worked the seventh.
The Rays, who scored all their runs with two outs and two strikes, have won three straight and improved to 50-36.
The teams were playing a doubleheader after the Rays proactively postponed Tuesday’s game in advance of Hurricane Elsa. Under rules adopted last year, that meant playing two seven-inning games, with the benefit of adding an extra 27th man to the rosters.
The Rays grabbed the lead from the start off Cleveland starter J.C. Mejia, and Brujan, the dynamic infield/outfield prospect, played a key role.
A one-out Ji-Man Choi walk, a Joey Wendle fielder’s choice grounder and Austin Meadows being hit by a pitch put two Rays on with two outs.
Brujan laced a ball to right field for an RBI single in his first big league at-bat, looking into the Rays dugout, then punching the air and pounding his chest twice.
Brujan stole second, and that also mattered as Kiermaier followed with a double to right that made it 3-0.
Cleveland got one back in the second, Franmil Reyes leading off with a homer off Wacha. But Wacha escaped whatever other trouble he had. He got a key out in the third when Cleveland had two on, and he got Jose Ramirez to pop up with Reyes on deck. He also got three big outs after starting the fifth with a hit batter and a double, retiring Daniel Johnson, Cesar Hernandez and Amed Rosario in order.
