Indians win 6-3 over Rays

Aviles hits 3-run homer during 5-run 7th inning

5/9/2014

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Mike Aviles hit a three-run homer during a five-run seventh inning, Corey Kluber went 6 2-3 effective innings, and the Cleveland Indians stopped a seven-game road losing streak by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3 on Friday night.

Cleveland also got solo homers from Asdrubal Cabrera and Michael Brantley. Kluber (3-3) allowed two runs, nine hits and had nine strikeouts.

Jake Odorizzi struck out a career-high 11 and gave up five hits in five shutout innings for the Rays, who have lost six straight at home.

PHOTO GALLERY: Click here to view more photos

Brantley homered off Joel Peralta (1-3) before Yan Gomes hit an RBI single and Aviles had his three-run shot against Brandon Gomes as the Indians went ahead 6-2 in the seventh.

For the fourth straight game, the Rays put together a serious ninth-inning threat. David DeJesus had an RBI double off John Axford with two outs that made it 6-3. Ben Zobrist then walked to load the bases, ending Axford’s night.

Cody Allen entered and got a fly ball from James Loney on a 3-2 pitch for his first save.

Cabrera, coming off a four-hit game in Thursday’s 9-4 victory over Minnesota, had a leadoff homer off Brad Boxberger in the sixth that pulled the Indians within 2-1. Cabrera finished with three hits and a walk.

After Loney hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth, DeJesus put the Rays up 2-0 on a fifth-inning RBI double.

Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar left after the second inning with a bruised right thumb and is day to day.

Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon’s challenge of a double play in the first resulted in the call being overturned when a video review determined that Zobrist beat the relay throw at first.

NOTES: The game took 4 hours, 10 minutes. ... Indians 2B Jason Kipnis (strained right oblique) has been cleared to swing a bat this weekend. ... Cleveland DH Jason Giambi (strained right calf) is working out with the team and says he feels good. ... Tampa Bay CF Desmond Jennings, who went 1 for 15 in his previous three games, was rested. ... Cleveland INF Elliot Johnson accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Columbus. ... The Indians gave no indication of appealing to MLB a scoring call that gave Cabrera a double in the eighth inning Thursday. If he would have been credited with a triple in his final at-bat, it would have given Cabrera the cycle. “I’m not too sure that it isn’t a triple, but I’m not positive it is either,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. ... Indians RHP Zach McAllister (3-2) and Rays LHP Erik Bedard (1-1) are Saturday night’s scheduled starters.