ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Drew Rasmussen delivered another strong start as the Rays beat the Tigers 6-1 Wednesday afternoon at Tropicana Field.
Rasmussen worked five shutout innings, scattering four hits and striking out seven while registering a career-best 20 swings-and-misses in throwing 61 of his 87 pitches for strikes.
Rasmussen is now 4-1 with a 2.33 ERA in eight starts this season and even better over his last five: 4-0, 1.01.
The Rays (23-15) took charge from the start, scoring three runs before they made an out in the first inning against Tigers starter Eduardo Rodriguez before an announced crowd of 9,706.
They loaded the bases with consecutive singles by Yandy Diaz, Wander Franco and Harold Ramirez, then got one run when Randy Arozarena drew a four-pitch walk, and two more on a single by Francisco Mejia.
Rodriguez got one out, walked Vidal Brujan to reload the bases and left the mound with a Tigers athletic trainer, though no announcement of an injury was made during the game.
The Rays added a run in the third when infielder Isaac Paredes hit the first of his two homers against his former team. The Rays acquired Paredes in a late spring trade for Austin Meadows, who is on Detroit’s injured list due to vertigo and did not homer in his first 28 games before being sidelined.
The Tigers got a home run from Spencer Torkelson in the seventh off reliever Matt Wisler. The Rays added a run back when Brett Phillips singled, stole second and scored on a bloop single by pinch-hitter Ji-Man Choi that rightfielder Robbie Grossman couldn’t come up with.
Paredes’ second home run extended the Rays’ lead to 6-1 in the eighth.
The Rays are off Thursday, then make a quick trip to Baltimore for a weekend series before returning home to host the Marlins and Yankees next week.
