Yandy Diaz belted a three-run home run and Zach Eflin struck out eight in seven innings as the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 8-4 on Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Diaz returned to the lineup after missing four games due to left groin tightness, and the Tampa Bay first baseman extended his hit streak to 13 games with a three-hit game.
Eflin (6-1) surrendered two home runs and yielded three runs, but gave the Rays a strong seven innings. He allowed four hits.
Harold Ramirez and Christian Bethancourt also homered for the Rays, who have won the first two in the three-game series.
Jason Adam recorded the final two outs for his sixth save.
Brewers left-hander Eric Lauer (4-5) allowed three home runs and six runs in three-plus innings.
Back in the leadoff spot, Diaz made an impact in the second inning by connecting on a three-run home run, which gave Tampa Bay a four-run lead.
Taylor Walls got the rally started with a one-out walk, and Manuel Margot singled. Diaz’s homer, his 11th, came with two outs.
The Rays grabbed the early lead on Ramirez’s home run in the first inning, a two-out, solo drive to right.
Leading off the third inning, Owen Miller put the Brewers on the board with a home run, which extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
Milwaukee closed to within a run in the fourth inning on Brian Anderson’s two-out, two-run home run, trimming the Rays’ lead to, 4-3. Willy Adames singled with one out.
The Rays responded with two more runs in the fourth inning, leading to Lauer being lifted after three-plus innings.
Bethancourt homered to lead off the inning, and after Walls doubled, Margot laced an RBI single to left, prompting the Brewers to go to their bullpen.
The Rays added two more runs in the seventh inning, building a five-run advantage. Isaac Paredes and Walls each picked up RBIs by walking with the bases loaded. Diaz got the rally going with a single, and he was lifted for pinch-runner Luke Raley, who scored.
Christian Yelich recorded an RBI single in the eighth inning for Milwaukee.
–Field Level Media