Rays beat the Guardians 4-2 and extend their winning streak to a season-best 7 games

TAMPA, Fla. — Ryan Pepiot struck out six in five hitless innings and Christopher Morel had three hits and an RBI as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians 4-2 on Thursday night. Carson Williams also drove in two runs for Tampa Bay, which won its season-high seventh straight game and for the 10th time in 12 games. "I thought we came out flat as a team tonight," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. "We're going to learn from this. Our guys are gong to learn from this. Just because you get in late doesn't mean you can't step up and come out guns blazing. This is the first time for a lot of our guys having to travel through the night and then having to play the next night so this is definitely going to be a learning experience for us." With the victory, the Rays move within two games of idle Seattle in the race for the final AL wild-card spot — the closest they have been to a playoff spot since July 26, when they were 1 1/2 games back. Pepiot (11-10) walked two in the victory and a combined no-hit bid was spoiled after 5 2/3 innings when José Ramírez singled off Bryan Baker. "I just thought (Pepiot) pumped fastballs by us," Vogt said. "We knew he was going to come at us with fastball and changeup, and he didn't have to use his changeup. I thought we got some fastballs to hit and missed them. It happens but we came out flat tonight." Pete Fairbanks allowed consecutive homers by Ramírez and Kyle Manzardo in the top of the ninth before getting the next three outs to close out the victory. "Josey had four really quality at-bats tonight," Vogt said. "The first two balls he hit hard to center field and then he saw one hit the grass (against Baker in the sixth) then obviously got the homer. "It was a nice way to end the night. We're frustrated with the loss and we have to bring energy (today) and be ready to go from pitch No. 1 ... and that's on all of us." Junior Caminero, Brandon Lowe, and Jake Mangum also had hits for Tampa Bay. Logan Allen (7-11) allowed six hits and four runs with four strikeouts in the loss for the Guardians, who have lost four of their last five games and slipped 3 1/2 games back in the wild-card race. "They did a great job of taking what Logan gave them in big spots," Vogt said. "You saw them throwing hits out the other way through the middle. They had a really good approach off of Logan. I thought he thew the ball well, but we gifted them a couple extra bases." Key moment Brandon Lowe made a sprawling grab with two outs in the top of the fourth, preventing Bo Naylor's line drive from reaching the outfield and stranding the potential tying run. Key stat Pepiot allowed one or fewer hits in his third straight start of five or more innings, joining Dylan Cease as the only pitchers in MLB history to accomplish the feat. Up next Guardians RHP Gavin Williams (9-5, 3.26) faces Tampa Bay LHP Ian Seymour (3-0, 2.97) today in the second game of the four-game series.