Snell ties MLB high with 18th win as Rays roll

ST. PETERSBURG -- Blake Snell did what an ace does: He got the W.
Tampa Bay backed Snell with four home runs in a 14-2 win over Baltimore on Friday night at Tropicana Field, giving the Rays their 14th win in their last 17 games and their ninth consecutive win at home.
Snell has "performed like [an ace] this year," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "It's tough to argue that he hasn't. So, it's pretty remarkable the turnaround. We talk about it a lot. We'll continue to talk about it. I guess when the day comes when we're not talking about it, that becomes a normal fifth day for him. If that's the case, he becomes a really special pitcher, which he's been all year this year."

The Rays' ace might have had a couple of warts on his 18th win of the season, which ties Corey Kluber for the Major League lead. He only pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed a two-run homer to Joey Rickard, but a club trying to make a late charge in the American League Wild Card race needed him to deliver, and he did.

"I felt like I was around the zone for the most part," said Snell, who deferred all credit. "... The offense did very well today. Gave me a lead quick. All credit goes to them. They really came ready to go today. Fourteen runs, and then the bullpen coming in and doing what they do best, like they've been doing."

Snell allowed two runs on five hits while striking out nine, throwing 104 pitches, 72 of which were strikes. He has won six straight decisions, giving him the longest streak of his career. He also tied the club record by winning a sixth straight start without a no-decision in between. David Price is the only Rays pitcher to win more games in a single season with 20 in 2012 and 19 in 2010.
"He's got four competitive pitches," catcher Nick Ciuffo said. "So if one pitch isn't 100 percent on that night, he can use a curveball. If the curveball's not on, he uses his slider. ... The reason he's so successful is because there's going to be very few nights where he doesn't have a pitch he can do damage with, or strike out guys with."
Tampa Bay's offense brought some firepower Friday night.
Ciuffo got the party started with a three-run homer in the second -- Ciuffo's first career home run. Kevin Kiermaier followed suit with a three-run homer in the third, giving Kiermaier his third home run in two games while staking the Rays to a 6-0 lead.

Tommy Pham added a solo shot in the fifth and Ji-Man Choi added a grand slam in the sixth to put the Rays up 11-2.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
With one out and two aboard in the third, Joey Wendle grounded into a force out. Baltimore manager Buck Showalter thought they might have gotten Wendle at first in addition to Pham's out at second, which would have ended the inning. So the Baltimore manager challenged the call. The call stood, and Kiermaier followed with his three-run homer, all but putting the game on ice.

SOUND SMART
Rickard's home run off Snell brought to a close a significant streak by the southpaw. Snell had allowed one earned run or fewer in 14 consecutive home starts dating back to Sept. 12, 2017, against the Yankees, which was the longest such streak in the Major Leagues since 1913, when earned runs were officially kept in both leagues.

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Tampa Bay selected Andrew Velazquez from Triple-A Durham on Sunday. By Friday night, the rookie had gone hitless in one Major League at-bat. He changed that in the seventh, when he singled to right for his first Major League hit.

UP NEXT
Diego Castillo will start Saturday night when the Rays host the Orioles in a 6:10 p.m. ET contest at Tropicana Field. He is 1-1 with a 2.37 ERA in his last 13 appearances (four starts), including 11 scoreless outings, after allowing nine runs in five appearances from July 15-29. Right-hander David Hess is scheduled to start for the Orioles.