ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — For the Rays, it was good to get back home.
After their longest road trip of the season, they returned to Tropicana Field Friday night and back to their winning ways. Shane McClanahan dominated with seven scoreless innings and the Rays scraped together a run in the eighth to pull out 1-0 win over the Brewers in front of a crowd of 18,961.
The Rays improved to 20-3 at Tropicana Field this season and 33-13 overall. That was a relief after going 4-6 on the 10-game road trip through Baltimore (against the Orioles), the Bronx (against the Yankees) and Queens (an interleague matchup against the Mets).
“Yeah, it is nice to be home. Long trip, no doubt about it,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
“I mean, look, we would like to have played a little bit better, found a way to win more games. It felt like we were in just about every single one of them. Generally, we’re really good at winning those games. But there were a handful that got away from us, and trust that this team will bounce right back.”
The Rays snapped their two-game losing streak; they still have not lost three straight this season.
McClanahan bounced back from his last start with a dominant performance. The lefty, who lasted only four innings against the Yankees in the Bronx last time out, scattered six hits, walking one and striking out seven. He got 15 swing-and-misses, eight on his four-seam fastball. It was his second scoreless start of at least six innings this season, and the first time he had pitched seven innings since Aug. 19, 2022 against the Royals.
Luke Raley broke through in the eighth by capitalizing on the Brewers’ mistakes.
Peter Strzelecki, in the same USF weekend rotation with McClanahan in 2017, hit the first baseman to lead off the inning. Raley caught the Brewers off-guard when he stole second, then advanced to third when catcher William Contreras’ throw to try and get him at second base bounced into center field.
Francisco Mejia’s sacrifice fly to left field brought Raley home.
The bullpen took advantage of the good start McClanahan gave them.
Jason Adam, who had two blown saves and a loss on the Rays’ 10-game road trip, came in for the eighth inning and gave up a single to Owen Miller, who stole second with one out. Christian Yelich grounded out, moving Miller to third with two outs. Adam struck out former Rays shortstop Willy Adames to end the Brewers’ threat.
Pete Fairbanks pitched a scoreless ninth for his fourth save.
On the Rays’ road trip, the bullpen took five losses. The sixth loss was charged to starter Zach Eflin, who starts Saturday for the Rays.
