Stellar relievers carry Rays past Guardians

Cole Sulser and four other relievers combined to allow one hit over seven-scoreless innings, and Jose Caballero had two hits with an RBI, as the visiting Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 on Thursday.

Brandon Lowe homered in the first and Jonny DeLuca delivered a tie-breaking single in the fourth for Tampa Bay (72-75), which bounced back after being swept in a three-game set at Philadelphia this week. Right-hander Ryan Pepiot started for the Rays, but was pulled after just two innings, allowing two runs, two walks and four hits.

Sulser (1-0) then struck out four with a walk during three hitless innings. Left-hander Mason Montgomery didn't yield a hit over two, lefty Garrett Cleavinger went one hitless inning, righty Manuel Rodriguez allowed one hit in the eighth and lefty Richard Lovelady (second save) retired the side in the ninth.

Gavin Williams (3-9) allowed three runs and seven hits, while walking two and striking out five, in 5 1/3 innings for the Guardians (84-62), who had just swept a three-game road set from the lowly Chicago White Sox.

Two batters into the contest, the Rays took a 1-0 lead after Lowe lined a Williams pitch over the right-field wall. Tampa Bay's lead, however, didn't last long through the bottom of the opening inning.

After Pepiot threw out Steven Kwan at the plate on Josh Naylor's chop to the first-base side of the mound, Lane Thomas sent an RBI double into the left field corner.

The Guardians took a 2-1 lead in the second after Pepiot issued back-to-back two-out walks to Brayan Rocchio and Kwan, then surrendered Andres Gimenez's RBI single to right field.

Tampa Bay, though, went back ahead for good with two runs in the fourth. Josh Lowe walked, went to third on Caballero's double just below the top of the left field wall and scored on Jonathan Aranda's tying sacrifice fly to center. DeLuca then put the Rays up 3-2 with an RBI single to center field.

Tampa Bay added a run in the eighth when Cleveland's Pedro Avila walked Yandy Diaz, then Josh Lowe singled and Caballero delivered a run-scoring hit. Logan Driscoll's sacrifice fly in the ninth capped the scoring for Tampa Bay.

--Field Level Media