CLEARWATER (620 WDAE) -- The Tampa Bay Rays bats continued to stay hot, as Corey Dickerson's two-run homer and Casey Gillaspie's two-run double helped key a 7-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies Monday at Spectrum Field.
After each side struck for a run in the first -- Dickerson scoring on a double play grounder by Gillaspie, and Maikel Franco countering with an RBI single off Blake Snell -- it was Gillaspie's two-base hit in the top of the third that gave Tampa Bay the lead for good, scoring Dayron Varona and Nick Franklin.
Franco got Philadelphia back to within a run in the bottom of the fourth with his third home run of the spring, a solo shot off reliever Maikel Franco, but Dickerson countered in the top of the fifth with his opposite-field blast into the bullpen that pushed the lead to 5-2.
Minor-leaguer Shane Peterson added a mammoth two-run shot to right in the sixth that extended the lead to 7-2.
Following the Franco homer, the Tampa Bay bullpen allowed just two more hits, as Ryne Stanek, Diego Moreno, Jose Alvarado, Jeff Walters and Hunter Wood combined to throw 5 1/3 scoreless innings.
Catcher Nick Ciuffo left the game in the eighth inning with a left quad contusion after fouling a ball off his leg.
Tampa Bay heads back to Port Charlotte for the next two days, staring with Tuesday's matchup against the Minnesota Twins, with Alex Cobb making his spring debut against Hector Santiago. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05.
Listen to comments from manager Kevin Cash, starting pitcher Blake Snell and DH Corey Dickerson below!