ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Chris Archer's winless streak reached nine games Thursday in the Tampa Bay Rays' 6-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians.
Danny Salazar gave up three hits in six innings and Marlon Byrd hit one of three Cleveland home runs -- a two-run shot off Archer, an All-Star who has lost all three of his starts this season.
Cleveland took two of three in the series, limiting the Rays to 15 hits.
"The one thing that I want to do, beyond give up two runs, is pitch a little deeper into the game," said Archer, who gave up three runs (two earned) in 5 1/3 innings. "If you look at what the other starter did vs. what I did, there's not much difference, and I'm sure they're over there talking about how great of a start he had."
Salazar (2-0) struck out nine and walked three. Zach McAllister, Bryan Shaw and Trevor Bauer completed a five-hitter.
Archer is 0-6 with a 5.83 ERA since beating Baltimore on Aug. 31. He didn't give up an earned run Thursday until Byrd's homer in the sixth, when his pitch count reached 105.
"I think that decision (whether to send Archer out for the sixth) could have gone either way," manager Kevin Cash said. "We just chose to say with him."
Jose Ramirez singled to open the sixth and scored on Byrd's first-pitch homer, which put Cleveland ahead 3-0. Rajai Davis made it 4-0 later in the sixth with a shot off Steve Geltz. Ramirez added a solo homer in the ninth.
Archer worked out of jams in each of the first three innings, but he didn't get much help as the Rays dropped to 3-6 with a team batting average of .210.
"Ugly loss, frustrating game obviously. We didn't do too many things well today," Cash said.
"I think we may be putting a little extra pressure on ourselves," Archer said. "There's frustration because we know we're better than our record reflects. (It's) a slow start, but to me its not really a big deal."
REMEMBERING JACKIE
All MLB teams will be taking part in Jackie Robinson Day Friday.
"The impact that he had on baseball is everlasting," Archer said. "He changed this game. It's not only America's pastime now, it's a universal pastime because he opened up the doors for people of all races and all colors to play."
The Hall of Famer broke baseball's color barrier on April 15, 1947.
"I would hope that it's special for everybody, whether you're in baseball or not," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "I get conflicted a little bit. A tribute to what he went through is off the charts of deserving. I just want to make sure that we don't get caught up in ever like patting ourselves on the back for celebrating what baseball did, it's him. To me it's a reality check, the fact that we have to celebrate something treating people equal. To me that's one of the most absurd things I've ever heard of. So, I guess it's a good reminder and I hope that day is used maybe as much for that as anything else."
PUNCHLESS FROM SEATTLE
First baseman Logan Morrison and shortstop Brad Miller, who came to the Rays from Seattle in the same November trade, are a combined 4 for 53 (.075) with 20 strikeouts and no RBIs.
UP NEXT
Indians: RHP Cody Anderson (0-0) and Mets RHP Bartolo Colon (0-1) are the scheduled starters Friday night.
Rays: RHP Jake Odorizzi (0-1) will go against Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale (2-0) in the opener of a three-game home series Friday night. Sale is from nearby Lakeland.
