Ryan Pepiot pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just two hits, while Jose Siri and Brandon Lowe hit home runs to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 2-0 victory over the struggling AL Central-leading Cleveland Guardians on Sunday.
Despite losing 11 of their last 18 games, the Guardians (58-37) head into the All-Star break with the best record in the AL for the first time since 1999. They dropped two of three games to the Rays, being outscored 6-4 in the series.
“It was a tough way to end a tough road trip, but I’m incredibly proud of our guys for their performance in the first half,” said Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt. “We’ve positioned ourselves well heading into the break. The work this group has put in has been outstanding.”
Tampa Bay struggled with runners in scoring position, going hitless in six such opportunities on Sunday and finishing the series 1 for 33. Cleveland fared similarly, going 0 for 5 in Sunday’s game and 1 for 20 in the series overall.
Pepiot recorded four strikeouts and was supported by solid relief performances from Colin Poche and Jason Adam, each pitching a hitless inning. Pete Fairbanks secured his 17th save in 19 chances by escaping a ninth-inning jam with two runners on base, completing a four-hit shutout.
“Pepiot’s velocity picked up as the game went on, and his changeup was particularly effective,” Vogt commented on Pepiot’s performance.
Steven Kwan, who went 1 for 4 in the game and is hitting .352 this season, led the Majors in batting average at the All-Star break for the Guardians, a feat not achieved by a Cleveland player since Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau in 1947.
Fairbanks faced a challenge in the ninth inning when Kwan and Angel Martínez singled to start the inning. However, he retired the heart of Cleveland’s lineup — José Ramírez, Josh Naylor, and David Fry — to seal the victory.
“Saves are saves,” Fairbanks said modestly.
Tampa Bay heads into the All-Star break at .500 with a 48-48 record. The Rays have shown improvement with a 14-9 record since June 19 but have not been more than three games above .500 this season.
“We’ve had some positive moments and some struggles,” said Rays manager Kevin Cash. “I’m pleased with our recent performance over the past month. We’re evolving into a stronger team.”
