DETROIT _ There were lots of ways for the Rays to snap the four-game losing streak that had tarnished their early season success and raised questions about where they were now headed.
The simplest was a strong outing Wednesday by veteran starter Charlie Morton.
And that's exactly what they got.
Seven solid innings. Zero runs. Five measly hits. Eight strikeouts.
And one very much needed win, 4-0 over the Tigers.
In ending the skid, the Rays improved to 36-23, with a chance to win another series in Thursday's matinee.
Talking before the game, Rays manager Kevin Cash said a strong Morton start was the easy answer.
"That would be huge," Cash said. "You don't like to go in and put pressure on anybody and I'm not going to. But if Charlie can go do what he did (in his last start) against the Twins it should give us a really good opportunity to settle some things and let our offense get going.
"We've got to find a way to get the offense going. And making plays behind him would be nice, too. We didn't make the plays that we're capable of making (Tuesday)."
Morton did his part, working in control and in command, not giving anything away, not even a walk.
Working seven complete innings was going to be the best part for him besides the win, because he considers that the true measure of a successful starter, and had only done so once this year, in that previous outing against the Twins.
That he did so Wednesday on just 83 pitchers, before turning things over to Oliver Drake, was even better as the Rays can keep him fresh given they have no off-days to get the 35-year-old any extra rest as they are in a stretch of playing 21 games in 20 days.
Morton was asked in advance of his Wednesday start against the Tigers if was happy with the way his first season with the Rays had gone so far.
First, he tried to shirk the question by saying that two months or so of work was too soon to say.
Then he shrugged and claimed he wasn't sure.
"Am I happy? I don't know," he eventually answered. "I wish I was pitching deeper in games. Especially on a team that relies so much on the bullpen and bullpen guys. I know we rotate guys in and out a lot.
But at the same time I do have concerns about me being a little bit more efficient. And that would allow me to get a few more innings here and there. I think I'm throwing the ball well. But I think I'm walking too many people."
The Rays took the lead in the third, with a little help.
Austin Meadows, who came into the game leading the American League in average (.356), slugging percentage (.656) and OPS (1.087), laced a ball to center that he turned into a triple, then an errant relay throw allowed him to come around and score.
They made it 3-0 in the fifth.
With Yandy Diaz aboard after a one-out walk, former Tiger Avisail Garcia, who homered in his return to the lineup Tuesday, pulled a breaking ball into the left-field corner, and third base coach Rodney Linares told Diaz to keep running home. Ji-Man Choi followed with a single and Garcia raced home to make it 3-0.
They added a run in the eighth on another Detroit error.
Pinch-runner Guillermo Heredia was on second (after a Mike Zunino walk, Christian Arroyo fielder's choice and a Meadows walk) and scored when Tigers second baseman Harold Castro threw wildly past first trying for a double play.
The series concludes Thursday afternoon. The Tigers are starting Daniel Norris, the Rays planning to use an opener in front of lefty Jalen Beeks, who will work the bulk of the innings.
