Taj Bradley held AL Central leaders Cleveland to five hits over seven innings, guiding the Tampa Bay Rays to a 2-0 victory on Friday night.
Bradley (4-4) recorded eight strikeouts and issued two walks in his seventh straight impressive start. He has allowed only five earned runs across 42 innings pitched.
“I felt calm out there today,” Bradley commented. “I’m trusting my pitches more now, knowing they’ll deliver.”
Colin Poche struck out two in a flawless eighth inning, while Jason Adam notched three strikeouts in a perfect ninth to secure his fourth save, capping off a five-hit shutout for Tampa Bay, which improved to 47-47.
“Cleveland didn’t lose due to the runs we gave up,” remarked manager Stephen Vogt. “Bradley was exceptional. He was hitting his spots and didn’t make any mistakes.”
Steven Kwan, leading MLB in batting average at .359, went 1 for 4 for Cleveland, who have lost 10 of their last 16 games.
Despite being hitless in his last 26 at-bats, catcher Alex Jackson broke his slump with a leadoff double in the fifth inning off Carlos Carrasco (3-7). Jackson scored later on Yandy Díaz’s groundball double down the first-base line, giving the Rays a 2-0 lead.
Jackson had reached base on an error in the third inning, advanced to third on Díaz’s single, and came home on Brandon Lowe’s double-play groundout.
Jackson’s two hits in the game raised his batting average from .062 to .086, while Díaz contributed three hits in total.
Bradley credited Jackson’s role in their game strategy as crucial to his success.
“It’s about our collaboration, building trust, and being in sync,” Jackson explained. “We’re working together toward our goals.”
Carrasco allowed two runs, one earned, and six hits over five innings. The 37-year-old veteran has completed at least five innings in each of his last six starts.
