Field Level Media
Jun 5, 2019
Charlie Morton continued his mastery with seven dominant innings and the Tampa Bay Rays ended a four-game losing streak by blanking the host Detroit Tigers 4-0 on Wednesday.
Morton (7-0) scattered five hits and didn't walk a batter while striking out eight. Morton, who has won four of his last five starts, hasn't been charged with a loss since last Aug. 11. Oliver Drake got the last six outs.
Ji-Man Choi reached base three times and drove in a run for the Rays. Austin Meadows tripled and scored a run, while Yandy Diaz reached three times and scored a run.
Avisail Garcia, who hit a two-run homer in the series opener on Tuesday, doubled, scored a run and drove in another.
Nicholas Castellanos was the lone Tigers hitter with an extra-base hit, a double with two outs in the first inning.
Right-hander Spencer Turnbull (3-5) gave up three runs on five hits in five innings as the Tigers have lost 11 of their last 12 home games. Turnbull walked three and struck out four.
The Rays took the lead in the third. Meadows ripped a triple into the right-center gap and scored on a throwing error by second baseman Harold Castro. Tampa Bay loaded the bases, but with two outs, Willy Adames grounded out.
Detroit had runners in scoring position with back-to-back singles and a stolen base with two outs in the fourth, but Morton struck out John Hicks to end the threat.
Tampa Bay scored twice in the fifth. Diaz walked with one out and scored on Garcia's two-out double to left. Garcia came around on Choi's RBI single.
The Rays loaded the bases again in the sixth against Nick Ramirez on a single and two walks. They came up empty as Brandon Lowe popped up.
Meanwhile, Morton got stronger as the game moved along. He retired 10 of the last 11 batters he faced. He silenced a Detroit attack that highlighted a 9-6 win in the opening game of the series.
The Rays tacked on a run in the eighth on two walks issued by Zac Reininger and another Castro error.
--Field Level Media