Rays jump on Tomlin, Indians early in loss
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- Josh Tomlin was doomed by a bad first inning.
Matt Moore won despite control issues, Carlos Pena homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Indians 4-2 on Tuesday night.
Pena hit a two-run homer and Luke Scott had an RBI triple off Tomlin (5-6) as the Rays took a 3-0 lead in the first.
"It was tough putting guys in a hole like that," Tomlin said. "I've got to do a better job of limiting the damage, especially the first inning."
Tomlin gave up four runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings.
"I thought Tomlin did a nice job after having a rough first inning where he had kind of had below average stuff and pitched from behind," Cleveland manager Manny Acta said. "After that, just a tremendous job for us. Gave us a very good outing."
Desmond Jennings stole second on a close play with two outs in the sixth and then scored to make it 4-2 on Jose Lobaton's RBI single.
It was just the third career stolen base off Tomlin, and the first since Kansas City had a double steal on Sept. 19, 2010.
"The guy was out at second base, but what are you going to do?" Acta said. "You can't blame it on the umpire. I didn't find anything tricky about the play. Throw beat the guy, clean tag, out. He didn't see it that way."
Moore (6-6) allowed two runs and three hits, but walked five in five-plus innings. The rookie left-hander was coming off a five-walk -- in 4 2-3 innings -- loss at Cleveland on July 7.
Moore was pulled after giving up a leadoff walk in the sixth to Carlos Santana. Wade Davis entered and got three quick outs, including Shelley Duncan's double play.
"We couldn't do much offensively," Acta said. "I thought we had enough traffic out there. Just couldn't execute. Just couldn't get that hit to get us over the hump."
Davis and Joel Peralta each threw 1 1-3 hitless innings. Burke Badenhop got an out before Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his 27th save and completed the four-hitter.
Rodney gave up a two-out single to Casey Kotchman, but then got a fly to right from pinch-hitter Travis Hafner on the first pitch.
Asdrubal Cabrera, mired in a 1-for-26 slide, opened the fourth with single for the Indians' first hit. After Moore issued consecutive walks to Jason Kipnis and Michael Brantley, Jose Lopez cut the deficit to 3-1 on a sacrifice fly.
The Rays starter avoided further damage by striking out Santana and getting a flyout from Duncan.
Kipnis made it 3-2 on a run-scoring single in the fifth. Later in the inning Lopez hit a high fly to left after Cleveland had loaded the bases with two outs.
"Lopez just missed that ball," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "I'm not going to deny that. He almost crushed that ball. But (Moore) did pitch through it."
NOTES: Santana has hit on the right triceps by a Rodney fastball, but was OK. ... Moore threw 90 pitches, two-thirds after the third inning. ... Tampa Bay activated OF Matt Joyce from the 15-day disabled list and optioned INF Will Rhymes to Triple-A Durham. Joyce, who went 0 for 4, missed 23 games because of a left oblique strain. ... Cleveland RHP Zach McAllister was fine one day after being hit on the top of the right forearm by a batted ball. "No issues," Acta said.