Snell wins 17th as Rays defeat Indians

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

Blake Snell moved into a tie for the major league lead with his 17th win as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Indians 5-3 on Saturday night.

Snell (17-5) allowed two runs in 62/3 innings, giving up both runs in the second with one being unearned thanks to a throwing error by third baseman Matt Duffy. The left-hander worked around trouble early in the game, but retired nine of the last 10 hitters he faced and struck out the side in the sixth.

Snell is tied with New York’s Luis Severino and Cleveland’s Corey Kluber — two other top candidates for the AL Cy Young Award — for the most wins in the majors. Snell is 5-0 in his last six starts.

Tampa Bay scored four times in the sixth off Shane Bieber (8-3). Matt Duffy tied the game with a two-run double. Tommy Pham’s RBI double put the Rays ahead before Kevin Kiermaier added a run-scoring single.

Brandon Lowe homered off the foul pole in right field to in the ninth.

Jason Kipnis, whose playing time will decrease after the Indians acquired third baseman Josh Donaldson from Toronto on Friday, started the ninth with a pinch-hit home run off Chaz Roe.

Roe retired the next two hitters and Adam Kolarek got pinch-hitter Yonder Alonso for his second save.

Duffy’s two-base error on Brandon Guyer’s ground ball started Cleveland’s rally in the second. Melky Cabrera and Yan Gomes drove in runs with back-to-back doubles. Snell retired the next two hitters before Michael Brantley singled to center. Gomes was waved home, but was an easy out at the plate on Kiermaier’s throw.

Cleveland’s lead quickly disappeared in the sixth. Brandon Lowe singled and took third on Joey Wendle’s double. Duffy’s double down the right field line tied the game. Pham’s one-out double to left-center gave Tampa Bay the lead and finished Bieber.

Kiermaier’s single off Tyler Olson scored Pham with the run being charged to Bieber. The rookie right-hander allowed four runs in 51/3 innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians managerTerry Francona said additional tests on the stress fracture in Trevor Bauer’s right leg showed minimal improvement, a diagnosis the team was expecting. Bauer was hit by a line drive Aug. 11. The team is still hopeful he’ll return before the regular season ends.

UP NEXT

Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco (16-7, 3,38 ERA), who is 8-2 in his last 11 starts, will start the series finale today. The Rays were still undecided about their starter on Saturday.