TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Taylor Walls drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning Friday night to help the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 and snap a seven-game home skid.
Brandon Lowe, who went into the game hitting .077 against lefties this season, homered off left-hander Jose Quintana for the Rays. Tampa Bay had lost 11 of 12 at Steinbrenner Field, its temporary home.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy was ejected in the sixth after third baseman Caleb Durbin was called for obstruction, and Christopher Morel — who had been caught in a rundown between third base and the plate — was awarded home to give the Rays a 3-2 lead.
Rhys Hoskins hit an RBI single against Cole Sulser (1-1) in the eighth to make it 3-3 before Jared Koenig (2-1) allowed two hits and two walks in the bottom half.
Eric Orze pitched a scoreless ninth for his second save.
William Contreras returned from a one-game absence and played through a fractured finger on his left (catching) hand. Brewers coaches Charlie Greene and Nestor Corredor modified the 27-year-old catcher’s grips on his bats and the pocket of his mitt to expedite Contreras’ return. He had a first-inning RBI single.
Key moment
The Rays’ José Caballero hit a single to center field that was misplayed by Jackson Chourio — the 21-year-old’s first career error — and Walls scored from first to make it 1-1 in the third inning.
Key stat
Quintana pitched 5 1/3 innings to reach 2,003 2/3 for his career, joining Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, Charlie Morton and Chris Sale as the only active players with more than 2,000.
Up next
Brewers RHP Tobias Myers (1-0, 3.65 ERA) is scheduled start Saturday against Rays right-hander Taj Bradley (3-2, 4.43).
