Snell ties Majors lead with win No. 17 vs. Tribe

CLEVELAND -- Blake Snell has been dynamic throughout his breakthrough season, but Rays manager Kevin Cash believes his left-hander reached new heights on Saturday night.
Snell struck out eight over 6 2/3 innings and didn't permit a runner past first base after the second inning, allowing Tampa Bay to rally for a 5-3 win over the Indians at Progressive Field.
Snell (17-5) earned his fifth consecutive victory, tying him with Cleveland's Corey Kluber and the Yankees' Luis Severino for the Major League lead in wins on an evening when he admittedly lacked focus at the outset.
"That was a pretty telling performance for Blake and how far he's come," Cash said. "You could argue that was his best start yet because he didn't have anything. He didn't have his fastball, and his go-to changeup was inconsistent. I credit him for this win tonight."
The Indians took a 2-0 lead in the second on consecutive doubles from Melky Cabrera and Yan Gomes, but Snell shut them down from there.
The first-time All-Star allowed two runs (one earned) on eight hits and a walk as the Rays matched their high-water mark of nine games above .500. He is 5-0 with a 1.10 ERA since returning from a three-week bout with left shoulder fatigue on Aug. 4.
"[Snell's] stuff was phenomenal," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "Velocity, breaking ball, changeup. He's got the whole package."
José Alvarado, Chaz Roe and Adam Kolarek followed, allowing Tampa Bay to break the MLB single-season team record for relief innings with 658 2/3. Kolarek earned his second save.

"I started slow and I was frustrated with that, but I felt like I was locked in later on," said Snell, whose 2.02 ERA ranks third in baseball. "I was trying to be too pretty and painting the plate, and that's not my style. I wasn't as aggressive as I needed to be in the first few innings."
The Rays took the lead for good with a four-run sixth inning, topped by Matt Duffy driving in a pair and Tommy Pham delivering the go-ahead RBI off Indians rookie Shane Bieber (8-3).

Designated hitter Ji-Man Choi went 3-for-4 for Tampa Bay, which is 10-2 since Aug. 19 and has outscored its opponents, 59-32, during that stretch. Brandon Lowe had two hits, including a solo homer in the ninth.

MOMENT THAT MATTERED
Bieber carried a shutout and a 2-0 lead into the sixth, but Tampa Bay only needed three batters to even the score. Lowe singled and Joey Wendle doubled, setting up Duffy's two-run double to right.
Pham put the Rays in front two batters later with the team's sixth double of the game, chasing Bieber after 5 1/3 innings.
"Getting our second and third looks at Bieber probably helped us a little bit there," Cash said. "We got locked in, and Duffy had a pretty big hit to get things going."

KIERMAIER EXITS EARLY
Rays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier left the game with back spasms in the seventh, but said the injury began plaguing him last week. The two-time Gold Glove Award recipient told Cash his back locked up while running the bases in the sixth.
"I felt like it might be an issue, so I talked to Cash at that point," Kiermaier said. "I didn't want to have it get worse tonight."
Kiermaier said he plans on receiving treatment at the team hotel and expects to play Sunday.
YOU GOTTA SEE THIS
Kiermaier threw out Gomes at the plate in the second inning with a 100.6-mph rocket -- tying for the second-hardest outfield assist of the year tracked by Statcast™ -- but strained his back on the play, leading to his early exit. Gomes was attempting to score from second on a single by Michael Brantley, but the ball easily beat him home. Catcher Jesús Sucre applied the tag for Kiermaier's team-best fifth assist and ended the inning.

UP NEXT
Pham totes a seven-game hitting streak into Sunday's 4:10 p.m. ET series finale against Cleveland at Progressive Field. Pham has six RBIs, two home runs and four multi-hit showings in that stretch, including two, three-hit performances. The Rays will go with a bullpen day Sunday, with Diego Castillo (3-2, 3.73 ERA) earning the starting nod. Carlos Carrasco (16-7, 3.38) will start for the Indians.