ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jeffrey Springs got his first win in 16 months, Brandon Lowe hit a two-run homer, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-1 on Saturday.
Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash became the sixth active manager with 800 wins as the Rays returned to .500 at 61-61.
Springs (1-1) allowed one run and four hits while striking out seven over five innings in his fourth start since Tommy John surgery on April 24, 2023.
The Diamondbacks have lost two in a row for just the second time since the All-Star break. They have overcome injuries to go 20-7 over that stretch and hold a National League wild card spot at 69-55.
Arizona star Ketel Marte was the designated hitter after missing three games with a sprained left ankle and went 1 for 3 with a walk.
Lowe hit a sixth-inning two-run homer that made it 6-1. He had a ground-run double in the second when his high fly got stuck on an overhanging catwalk that is in play.
Josh Lowe had a first-inning RBI triple off Zac Gallen (9-6) and swiped home as part of a double steal as the Rays took a 2-0 lead.
Lowe joined Carl Crawford (nine games in 2009) as the only Tampa Bay players with a stolen base in six consecutive games.
Light-hitting Taylor Walls (.169) and Alex Jackson (.118) opened the second with singles against Gallen and scored on a base-hit by Yandy Díaz after pulling off a double steal of their own.
Gallen gave up four runs and nine hits in five innings.
Jose Herrera had a fifth-inning RBI single for Arizona.
The Diamondbacks loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth and eighth but failed to score.
Díaz, who had three hits and two RBIs, was awarded a base hit when his grounder struck second base umpire John Bacon. A double play Arizona turned after the deflection was voided because the ball was dead after Bacon was hit. The Rays didn’t score in the inning.
Tampa Bay CF Jose Siri didn’t play for the second straight game after not running hard on a grounder on Wednesday.
“We’re asking guys to provide consistent effort,” Cash said. “We’re asking everybody to be part of that.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: RHP Zack Littell (right shoulder fatigue) was placed on the 15-day injured list.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (3-0, 2.48 ERA) is making his second start on Sunday since returning from a strained right shoulder. Rays LHP Tyler Alexander (5-3, 5.20 ERA) will start or follow an opener.
