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Pearce hit a go-ahead three-home run in the sixth inning and
Guyer added a solo home run as the Rays split their two-game
interleague series against the Los Angeles Dodgers with an 8-5
victory Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.
Pearce and Guyer homered on a night when the Rays (12-14) scored
five-plus runs in consecutive games for the first time this
season.
Pearce began the season in a platoon at first base and gave the
Rays a 5-2 lead when he homered off Alex Wood (1-3). Guyer
opened the scoring with a home run in the first and also had a
single before Pearce's third home run of the season.
"BG (Guyer) and Pearce both are really igniting us right now,"
Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. "They're making some
decisions difficult, how we'll have to factor in continuing to
get them in the lineup. They're picking up the offense quite a
bit."
Steven Souza Jr. also hit a solo home run before leaving the
game with a pectoral muscle spasm. Curt Casali also hit a solo
home run for Tampa Bay, which has scored 13 runs in the last two
games.
Evan Longoria, who reached on an error before Pearce's home run,
added an RBI double and Kevin Kiermaier also had a run-scoring
double.
"Five last night, eight tonight, so 13 in two days -- we haven't
been averaging that," Cash said. "It's time for us to give our
pitchers a little breathing room -- starters and relievers. If
this is a breakout, sign us up for it."
Reliever Erasmo Ramirez (5-1) picked up his fifth win by
pitching two scoreless innings after Drew Smyly allowed two runs
and five hits in five innings. Ramirez has more this season than
the Rays' regular starting four pitchers combined (three).
The Dodgers scored three runs in the eighth -- two on
bases-loaded walks and one on a sacrifice fly -- as the Rays
bullpen struggled with control issues. Alex Colome pitched a
scoreless ninth for his sixth save of the season.
Smyly recorded the first five outs on strikeouts before the
Dodgers had their first hit and allowed one run on three hits in
the first five innings.
The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a solo
home run by Brandon Guyer, who continues to make a case for a
larger role after opening the season as the fourth outfielder.
The Dodgers tied the game in the fourth, with Howie Kendrick
getting a single and scoring on an RBI single by Yasmani
Grandal.
Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on Souza's sixth home
run but the lead didn't last long.
Wood allowed five runs (four earned) and six hits in five
innings.
"(Wood's) stuff was really good tonight, three bad pitches that
they hit out of the ballpark," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts
said. "(Baez) wasn't sharp tonight and they extended their lead,
but we fought back."
Smyly gave up singles to Yasiel Puig and Adrian Gonzalez, and
the Rays turned to Ramirez. Ramirez didn't give up any hits, but
a wild pitch allowed Puig to score the tying run.
"This young kid over there is really good," Roberts said of
Smyly. "Regardless of who he was facing, he's going to throw up
some zeroes."
NOTES: The Dodgers' 10-5 win on Tuesday night ended a seven-game
interleague win streak for the Rays at Tropicana Field. ... The
two teams are at opposite ends of the pitching spectrum. Since
2008, the Rays have used a total of 27 starting pitchers, fewest
in the majors, while the Dodgers have used 59, the most in the
majors. ... The Rays beat the Dodgers for the first time since
2007 as a rare interleague opponent. The longest streak in
baseball is the Phillies, who haven't beaten the Angels since
2003. ... All three Dodgers starting outfielders -- Trayce
Thompson, Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig -- hit home runs in
Tuesday's win. It has only happened three times in Rays' history
by an opponent. The last was in 2003, when the Twins' Jacque
Jones, Torii Hunter and Dustan Mohr did so.
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