PHOENIX (AP) — Luke Raley homered in the first inning, Wander Franco and Josh Lowe drove in two runs each in a five-run third and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1 Thursday.
Tampa Bay won two of three in a series between the 1998 expansion teams. The Rays lead the major leagues at 56-28, while Arizona tops the NL West at 48-34.
Diamondbacks right fielder Corbin Carroll left after four innings with soreness in his right shoulder, which underwent surgery two years ago. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said Carroll is day to day.
Carroll felt discomfort when he struck out ending the third inning, then was replaced after the fourth.
“It was a really weird feeling that I hadn’t felt since the injury,” Carroll said. “It shook me up pretty good. They checked it out and I got the green light there, which is a huge weight off my shoulders.”
Tampa Bay won back-to-back games for the first time since three straight from June 14-16. The Rays beat Arizona 3-2 Wednesday behind a three-run ninth.
“It felt like that momentum from last night carried over into today’s early ballgame,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said.
Yonny Chirinos (4-3) allowed one run and seven hits over six-plus innings of relief that followed opener Zack Littell. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit his 12th homer of the season leading off the seventh.
Chirinos rebounded from his previous outing, a start at Kansas City on Saturday in which he gave up nine hits and a career-worst eight runs in 5 1/3 innings.
“We can’t always have good games,” Chirinos said through a translator.
Brandon Pfaadt (0-3) allowed six runs and seven hits in two-plus innings, raising his ERA to 9.82. He was recalled from Triple-A to make his sixth start.
Raley put the Rays ahead in the first with his 13th homer. He also singled and was hit by a pitch.
Franco hit a two-run triple in the third and scored on Harold Ramírez’s single for a 4-0 lead. Isaac Paredes walked and Lowe chased Pfaadt with a two-run single.
MAC IS BACK
Rays ace Shane McClanahan said he feels “ready to go” and is scheduled to start Friday at Seattle. The left-hander came out of a start June 22 at Kansas City after 3 2/3 innings due to mid-back tightness.
“I feel good,” said McClanahan, who at 11-1 with a 2.23 ERA. “I can do a better job of taking preventative measures to combat this thing in the future.”
McClanahan threw his regular bullpen session on Sunday and said he did the rest of his between-starts routine without any problems.
“I know he’s gotten a lot of treatment over the last week,” Cash said. “We’ll key on how the ball is coming out of his hand and how his back is feeling.”
STREAKING
Arizona’s Christian Walker extended his hitting streak to a career-best 13 games with a second-inning double. Ketel Marte walked in the third and has reached base in 22 consecutive games, the majors’ longest active streak.
ROSTER MOVE
To make room for Pfaadt on the roster, the Diamondbacks optioned reliever Justin Martinez to Reno after Wednesday night’s game.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays INF Taylor Walls (back) did not play in the series but expects to be back on Friday. … OF Randy Arozarena had a scheduled day off.
NEXT
Rays: McClanahan faces Mariners RHP Bryce Miller (5-3, 3.88) in Seattle on Friday.
Diamondbacks: LHP Tommy Henry (4-1, 4.31) goes against Angels RHP Griffin Canning (6-2, 3.99) on Friday in Los Angeles.
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