The Indians lose for the third time in four games on their last trip before the All-Star break.
Carl Crawford was all the offense the Tampa Bay Rays needed Thursday night, powering a pair of two-run homers off Jake Westbrook to lead the home team over the Indians, 5-2.ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Jake Westbrook entered Thursday night's game with a five-game winning streak against the Rays going back to 2005.
In all that time, he never really had a problem with Carl Crawford. Tampa Bay's fleet and talented left fielder. Crawford had eight hits in 33 at-bats against Westbrook for a pedestrian .242 batting average.
Crawford changed the dynamics of the relationship in a hurry Thursday. He hit a long two-run homer in the first inning and an even longer two-run homer in the third to lead the Rays to a 5-2 victory over the Indians at Tropicana Field.
Carlos Pena added a solo homer off Westbrook (5-5, 4.75) in the third for the Rays' fifth run. The Rays needed the homers because the Indians used some power of their own to stay close.
Leadoff man Michael Brantley gave the Indians a 1-0 lead with his first big-league homer in the first off Wade Davis.
Tampa Bay came right back as leadoff man Ben Zobrist singled and Crawford hammered a 3-2 pitch into the right field bleachers for a 2-1 lead in the first.
Andy Marte's first homer since April 22 pulled the Indians into a 2-2 tie in the second, but the combination of Zobrist and Crawford went to work again in the third.
Zobrist doubled with one out and Crawford hit another 3-2 pitch into the right field bleachers. This one almost hit the back row.
It was an odd night for Westbrook. He retired seven straight between Crawford's first homer and Zobrist's double in the third.
Westbrook finished his six innings by retiring six of the last seven men he faced. He didn't walk a batter and struck out seven. His strikeout high for the season is eight.
The Indians are 1-3 on this seven-game trip before the All-Star break. They opened the trip Monday with a victory over Texas and that very well could be their final victory of the first half. The Rays, coming off a three-game sweep of Boston, have won six straight and eight of their last nine.
Davis (6-9, 4.69) allowed two runs on seven hits in seven innings for the victory.
Carlos Santana reached on a bunt single in the eighth and went to second on Austin Kearns' one-out single. Jhonny Peralta just missed a three-run homer to center field and Trevor grounded out to end the inning.
Dan Wheeler worked the final 1 2/3 innings for his first save.