ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Yoshi Tsutsugo hit a two-run single during Tampa Bay’s five-run third inning, and the Rays beat the Atlanta Braves 5-2 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight win.
Yonny Chirinos pitched four effective innings for Tampa Bay after missing part of summer camp after a positive coronavirus test. He allowed one run and four hits.
The Rays loaded the bases in the third on three walks, then chased Kyle Wright (0-1) with three consecutive two-out hits.
After Tsutsugo delivered, Jose Martinez and Joey Wendle added run-scoring singles. Tampa Bay went up 5-1 when Martinez scored on a wild pitch by Josh Tomlin.
Atlanta loaded the bases with no outs in the top of third inning but scored just one run on Marcell Ozuna’s two-out single.
Ozzie Albies singled in a run in the seventh for the Braves. Wright, the fifth overall pick in the 2017 draft, allowed five runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings in the fifth start of his Major League Baseball career.
Pete Fairbanks (1-0) struck out three during a perfect fifth to get the win. Oliver Drake, the fifth Tampa Bay reliever, worked the ninth for his second save.
Atlanta catcher Alex Jackson doubled off Chirinos in the second for his first MLB hit.
Braves manager Brian Snitker said the team’s top catchers, Travis d’Arnaud and Tyler Flowers (bad cold symptoms), worked out in Georgia and could return within the next few days. Both have had multiple negative coronavirus tests.