ST. PETERSBURG (620 WDAE) -- The Tampa Bay Rays used a pair of home runs against Yovani Gallardo, while Blake Snell combined with two relievers to throw a two-hit shutout, whitewashing the Seattle Mariners 3-0 Sunday at Tropicana Field.
Kevin Kiermaier started the game by giving the Rays the lead, blasting a 2-0 pitch off the batters eye in center field for his eighth home run of the year.
That blast turned out to be all the offense Snell (2-6) would need, as he mowed down Mariners hitters, the left-hander allowed just a pair of hits and two walks in seven innings of work, retiring twelve straight hitters at one point.
Seattle was able to get just one hitter into scoring position on Sunday, and it came in the seventh inning when a wild pitch by Snell, allowing Robinson Cano, who had the second of the two hits allowed by Snell to move from first to second base with two out. Two batters later, he was erased on a fielder's choice grounder by Taylor Motter to end the inning.
Tampa Bay pushed the lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh as Jesus Sucre was hit by a Gallardo pitch to start the inning, and two batters later, Adeiny Hechaverria blasted his second home run with the Rays, and third overall, chasing the Seattle starter from the game.
Tommy Hunter worked a perfect eighth, and Alex Colome allowed a base hit to pinch-hitter Yonder Alonso, but stranded him to end the game and record is MLB-best 36th save of the year.
The win ends the Rays four-game losing streak and gets them back to four games under .500 at 61-65.
Tampa Bay will have Monday off before welcoming in the Toronto Blue Jays for a three game series on Tuesday. Chris Archer (8-7, 3.84 ERA) takes on Chris Rowley (1-0, 2.61 ERA). First pitch is scheduled fo 7:10, with coverage on WDAE staring at 6:30 with The Inside Pitch presented by Sykes Lakeland.