Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) – Ben Zobrist’s replay-reviewed three-run homer began a stretch of six unanswered runs, and the Tampa Bay Rays finally snapped their losing streak in Cleveland with a 6-3 win over the Indians.
Carlos Pena also homered for the Rays, who had lost their last 18 games at Progressive Field, not having won in the stadium since September 28, 2005. It was the longest active losing streak by one club at one particular venue.
David Price (13-5) moved into a tie for the AL lead in wins after allowing three runs, three hits and four walks while fanning five in seven-plus frames. Rafael Soriano earned his 25th save.
Shelley Duncan hit a two-run homer for the Indians, who are 7-2 after the All-Star break. Mitch Talbot (8-9), pitching against the team that traded him last offseason, gave up five runs on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Despite the loss, Talbot managed to tie a team record by striking out six consecutive batters from the first through the third innings. He struck out a career-high eight overall.
After Zobrist’s three-run blast was confirmed by the umpiring crew and tied the game in the fifth, Tampa Bay went ahead for good in the sixth.
Pena crushed the first pitch he saw from Talbot into the seats in center for a 4-3 advantage, and Matt Joyce followed with a double. B.J. Upton’s RBI ground- rule double two batters later knocked Talbot from the game.
Frank Herrmann hit Jason Bartlett with a pitch to start the top of the seventh, and Bartlett later scored on Carl Crawford’s double to make it 6-3.
Carlos Santana struck out with two runners on and two outs in the eighth to squander the Indians’ only threat down the stretch.
Trevor Crowe walked to open the first inning and scored on Shin-Soo Choo’s double down the left field line, and Duncan’s two-run homer in the second staked the Indians to an early 3-0 lead.
Meanwhile, after Zobrist lined out to begin the game, Talbot struck out the next six hitters — tying a team record. He nearly had a seventh, appearing very frustrated when a borderline pitch to Kelly Shoppach was called a ball. Shoppach eventually grounded out, ending the streak.
Talbot allowed just one hit in the first four innings, but the Rays finally got to their former teammate in the fifth with a two-out rally.
With nobody on base after the first two hitters were retired, Shoppach and Jason Bartlett both singled to keep the inning alive. Zobrist crushed a 1-0 pitch just over the wall in left, striking a railing and bouncing back into play. It was initially ruled a triple, but a replay review showed that it was a home run, which was the eventual ruling for a tie game.
Talbot tied a record shared by Bob Feller, Bartolo Colon and Chuck Finley. Finley was the last to do it on May 28, 2002. The major league record is 10, set by Tom Seaver…No AL team has lost 19 straight road games at one particular park since the Blue Jays lost 19 straight in Baltimore from 1978-81…The Rays are 32-18 on the road and lead the season series, 6-2…Talbot and Shoppach were traded for each other after the 2009 season…The Indians have recorded an extra-base hit in 46 straight games, the longest active streak in the major leagues.