ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Willy Adames, Rowdy Tellez and William Contreras homered, and the Milwaukee Brewers avoided a three-game sweep by beating the major league-leading Tampa Bay Rays 6-4 on Sunday.
Tampa Bay (34-14) dropped to 21-4 at Tropicana Field, the second-best 25-game home record since 1901 behind the 1978 Boston Red Sox at 22-3.
The Rays did have their lead in the tough AL East drop to 2 1/2 games over Baltimore, which beat Toronto 8-3 in 11 innings.
Adames, on the second anniversary of his trade from the Rays to the Brewers, hit a solo homer off opener Jalen Beeks in the second, and Tellez hit a fourth-inning, two-run drive against Cooper Criswell (0-1).
“This game really, almost, encourages ups and downs because you get results thrown at you every single day” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said of Adames. “We love to be around people that don’t get affected by it, and that’s what Willy is really good at. That smile that we see everyday is a reason to feel good no matter what’s going on.”
Freddy Peralta (5-3) gave up three runs and five hits over six innings as the NL Central-leading Brewers (25-21) stopped a three-game skid. Devin Williams, the third Milwaukee reliever, pitched 1 1/3 innings for his seventh save in as many chances.
Josh Lowe had a three-run homer, three hits and four RBIs for the Rays, whose 91 home runs lead the major leagues.
Owen Miller extended his career-best hitting streak to 13 games with a leadoff single and scored on Contreras’ homer off Cooper Criswell (0-1) during a three-run fifth that put the Brewers ahead 6-3.
Adames, who has a team-best 59 homers and 181 RBIs since joining the Brewers, playful mimicked Rays’ slugger Randy Arozarena’s folded arms pose after going deep, which drew a smile from the left fielder.
“He had said earlier today that he was going to hit a home run and then he was going do the pose and I didn’t believe him,” Arozarena said through a translator. “But obviously he hit a home run and just posed.”
Arozarena and Harold Ramírez drew one-out walks in the fourth from Peralta, and Lowe tied the score 3-3 with his home run.
Arozarena was hit on the pinky finger by a Peter Strzelecki pitch in the eighth but remained in the game. He stole second and came home on Lowe’s single for a 6-4 lead.
“It’s OK, ” Arozarena said.
Williams replaced Strzelecki with two on and two outs, and after walking Manuel Margot got a nice play from Miller, who fielded Isaac Paredes’ grounder behind third and threw to second for a forceout.
It was Williams’ first appearance since a five-out save Tuesday at St. Louis.
Criswell, recalled from Triple-A Durham before the game when reliever Ryan Thompson was optioned, allowed five runs and eight hits on 4 2/3 innings.
Tampa Bay’s Yandy Díaz doubled in the seventh and has a career-best 14-game hitting streak.
SPECIAL DELIVERY
Mexico’s Secretary of Foreign Affiars. Marcelo Ebrard, presented Arozarena with his 2023 World Baseball Classic all-tournament team award and threw a ceremonal first pitch to him. Ebrard helped Arozarena gain citizenship in Mexico after the outfielder defected from Cuba in 2015.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays RHP Tyler Glasnow (left oblique) gave up one run, on a fifth-inning homer, two hits, two walks and struck out six over six innings against Nashville in likely his final start for Triple-A Durham. … Miwaukee 1B Luke Voit (neck) started his second game with Nashville and hit into a double play and walked off Glasnow. Voit also walked against reliever Shawn Armstrong (neck). who gave up a two-run homer during his one-inning stint.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Corbin Burnes (4-3) will face Houston RHP Cristian Javier (4-1) on Monday night.
Rays: LHP Josh Fleming (0-) will opener Trevor Kelly (0-1)Monday night against Toronto RHP Chris Bassitt (5-2).
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