Jonathan Aranda drove in two runs, including a solo homer, and Drew Rasmussen pitched six strong innings as the visiting Tampa Bay Rays beat the Tigers 4-1 on Monday night, handing Detroit its sixth straight loss.
Rasmussen (14-5) won his seventh consecutive start, limiting the Tigers to one run and three hits while striking out five. Garrett Cleavinger, Manuel Rodriguez and Bryan Baker each tossed an inning of scoreless relief, with Baker recording his 38th save.
Chandler Simpson had two hits and drove in a run for the Rays, who extended their lead in the American League East to 3 1/2 games over the idle New York Yankees.
Framber Valdez (8-9) gave up all four Tampa Bay runs, three earned, on eight hits in six innings. Valdez failed to record a strikeout. Kevin McGonigle doubled and scored Detroit’s lone run in the opener of a three-game series.
Tampa Bay jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first. Yandy Diaz and Ryan Vilade started off the contest with singles. An error by left fielder Brett Callahan allowed both runners to move up.
Junior Caminero’s grounder scored Diaz. After Jonny DeLuca reached on an infield single, Vilade scored on Aranda’s fielder’s choice grounder.
The Rays nearly scored in the third. Caminero walked and tried to score on DeLuca’s double to right. Caminero was initially ruled safe at home, but a manager’s challenge overturned the call.
Tampa Bay extended its lead to 3-0 in the fourth. Jorge Mateo led off with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice and scored on Simpson’s squeeze bunt.
Detroit scored in the bottom of the inning. McGonigle ripped a one-out double and advanced to third on Dillon Dingler’s bloop single. McGonigle scored on Callahan’s sacrifice fly.
Aranda powered a Valdez slider over the right-center field wall leading off the sixth to make it 4-1.
Detroit had two baserunners in the eighth on a Spencer Torkelson double and Colt Keith’s two-out walk, but Rodriguez struck out Hao-Yu Lee to end the threat. Detroit again got two runners on base in the ninth, but Baker struck out Zach McKinstry and Torkelson for the save.