Rays' Zack Littell leaves Cleveland empty-handed for 6 innings and has a rookie first

CLEVELAND — Zack Littell held Cleveland to a stop for six innings and rookie Logan Driscoll hit his first career home run, a two-run shot, to give the Rays a 3-1 victory over the AL Central-leading Guardians on Friday night.

Littell (7-9) allowed just two hits in his second straight strong start. He shut out Baltimore for five innings last week and threw 13 consecutive scoreless innings. The right-hander is 4-0 in his career against the Guardians.

Littell's performance followed the Tampa Bay bullpen's victory over Cleveland in the final seven innings of the series opener on Thursday.

“We played it down a little bit, but we needed a strong outing from the starter and he certainly delivered,” manager Kevin Cash said of Littell, who retired his final 11 batters. “He needed to get the off-speed pitches going and he did that and got way into the game for us.”

The Guardians didn't score until the eighth inning, when rookie Jhonkensy Noel and David Fry hit back-to-back doubles against Mason Montgomery. Fry's hit to left narrowly missed a two-run home run.

Cash brought in Edwin Uceta, who was returning from a two-game suspension for throwing to Philadelphia's Nick Castellanos, to get two outs in the eighth inning. Uceta then worked a 1-2-3 inning for his third save.

“He's done that in every appearance but one,” Cash said. “He's really set the bar high for himself. We're lucky to have him and some other young pitchers. They get some good reps on this trip in this type of atmosphere.”

With Cleveland's loss and Kansas City's win, the Guardians' lead in the division was reduced to three games. The Guardians are 1-4 against the Rays.

“This Tampa team knows how to throw,” said Guardians manager Stephen Vogt. “We've got our hands full the next two days.”

Cleveland played without All-Star left fielder Steven Kwan, who was out with back pain and will undergo tests on Saturday.

Driscoll struck out Tanner Bibee (11-8) in the third inning, who had an inconsistent outing. Bibee allowed two home runs and finished the game with nine strikeouts after striking out the team in two innings.

Jonathan Aranda also hit a home run for the Rays, who face three division leaders – Baltimore, Philadelphia and Cleveland – and are 4-4 on a 10-game road trip.

“For us right now, it's about winning every game, but this road trip has been planned all year,” Littell said. “We've done a really good job. We got blown out of the field in Philly, but every game we've been in, things just haven't gone the way we wanted.”

Driscoll's hit to right outfield in the second came shortly after Jose Siri narrowly missed a home run with a hit to center field that hit the yellow line that marks the top of the wall.

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With Siri on third base after a triple, Driscoll, who scored the game-winning run in his MLB debut on Sept. 3, hit a home run. He received a warm welcome in the Tampa Bay dugout as the Rays raised their arms to form a tunnel for him to run through.

“It was one of those things where you don't really realize what happened in the moment until the game is over and I've kind of processed things,” said Driscoll, who got the souvenir ball by trading a signed bat with a fan.

“I have to find a place for it,” he said. “That's for sure.”

Morel leaves wild

Rays left fielder Christopher Morel was taken out after hitting a single in the third inning. The team said he was experiencing soreness in his right Achilles tendon. Morel was accidentally stepped on by Cleveland's Brayan Rocchio on Thursday night and appeared to be resting his foot on two plays in the field. Cash said he would like to have Saturday off.

By TOM WITHERS, Associated Press