Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe homer to power Rays to win over Guardians

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Brandon Lowe and Yandy Díaz homered as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Guardians 6-4 on Saturday.

The Rays had dropped two consecutive games, getting one run and 10 singles in 18 innings over the stretch.

Corey Kluber (7-6) allowed four runs and eight hits with a season-high 10 strikeouts in six innings and improved to 2-0 in two career starts against Cleveland, where he won the AL Cy Young Award in 2014 and 2017.

Pete Fairbanks struck out José Ramírez on three pitches with two on and two outs in the ninth to get his second save.

Andrés Giménez homered for the Guardians, who are 5-5 on an 11-game road trip.

Lowe connected on a two-run homer in the first and René Pinto had a second-inning RBI double off Zach Plesac (2-9) as the Rays took a 3-0 lead.

Díaz’s two-run shot in the fifth put the Rays ahead 5-1.

Brett Phillips, who had seven hits in his previous 89 at-bats, had an RBI single with two outs in the eighth that made it 6-4.

The Rays gave away a Devil Rays basketball jersey with Phillips' name on it to fans in attendance.

Owen Miller had a run-scoring single in the fourth inning before Giménez got the Guardians within 5-4 on a three-run drive in the sixth.

Plesac, winless in his past nine starts, gave up five runs and seven hits in five innings.

Guardians rookie Steven Kwan extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a double in the fifth inning.

Cowboy Joe

Retired umpire Joe West was at the ballpark taking part in a documentary. He spent time on the field with former umpire Richie Garcia and members of the umpiring crew working the weekend series.

Hoop it up

Phillips grew up a Devil Rays fan in nearby Seminole, Florida, and played basketball with his neighbor, pro wrestler Macho Man Randy Savage.

“Here we are in my hometown, a giveaway ... Crazy, absolutely crazy,” Phillips said.

The announced attendance was 22,756, well above the Rays’ home season average of 13,819.

Trainer's room

Guardians: First baseman Josh Naylor was scratched due to right ankle soreness.

Rays: Left-hander Jalen Beeks (right lower leg tightness) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list and right-hander Luke Bard was optioned to Triple-A Durham. ... Right-hander Tyler Glasnow (Tommy John surgery, Aug. 2021) threw off a bullpen mound. He is not expected back until next year.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Corey Kluber strikes out 10 in Rays' win over Guardians