Taj Bradley allows 5 hits in 7 innings, Rays beat AL Central-leading Guardians 2-0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Taj Bradley limited AL Central-leading Cleveland to five hits in seven innings to help the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Guardians 2-0 on Friday night.

Bradley (4-4) struck out eight and walked two in his seventh consecutive strong start. The right-hander has given up five earned runs over his 42 innings.

“I had a calmness today,” Bradley said. “Just trusting in my stuff now, just knowing it’s going to be what it is.”

Colin Poche struck out two in a perfect eighth before Jason Adam had three strikeouts in an 1-2-3 ninth to complete a five-hitter and get his fourth save. Tampa Bay improved to 47-47.

“We didn’t lose this game because of the runs we gave up,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said, “We struggled. Taj Bradley was outstanding. He was landing everything. Didn’t make any mistakes."

Major league batting leader Steven Kwan went 1 for 4 for the Guardians, who have lost 10 of 16. He is hitting .359.

Light-hitting catcher Alex Jackson was hitless in 26 a-bats before getting a leadoff double in the fifth off Carlos Carrasco (3-7), and scored to put the Rays up 2-0 on Yandy Díaz's groundball double down the first-base line.

Jackson reached on an error to start the third, went to third on Díaz’s flare single to right, and came home on Brandon Lowe's double-play grounder.

Jackson went 2 for 4 to raise his average from .062 to .086. Díaz finished with three hits.

Bradley said a key part of his success is Jackson's handling of game preparation.

“It was just working together, kind of just building a relationship,” Jackson said. “Getting to a point where we have trust and we’re in this together.”

Carrasco gave up two runs, one earned, and six hits over five innings. The 37-year old has gone at least five innings in six consecutive starts.

“Cookie was outstanding,” Vogt said. “He gets into jams, but he finds a way to wiggle out. This guy knows how to pitch and that’s the one thing with Cookie. we know he’s going to give us an opportunity to win.”

The Rays had a runner on third with two outs in the second when Richie Palacios hit an 108.5 mph smash that went airborne off first base to first baseman Josh Naylor, who won the race to the bag to get the out.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Guardians: Reliever Sam Hentges (left shoulder inflammation) was placed on the 15-day IL. “It seems to be manageable right now, but we don’t want to do anything detrimental for him," Vogt said, … RHP Xzavion Curry was recalled from Triple-A Columbus, and struck out two with the bases loaded in the seventh. … LHP Matt Boyd (Tommy John surgery) had his second batting practice session on Thursday.

Rays: RHP Drew Rasmussen (right elbow internal brace surgery) will throw batting practice on Saturday and then is set to join Triple-A Durham after the All Star break.

UP NEXT

Cleveland RHP Gavin Williams (0-1, 4.82 ERA) and Tampa Bay RHP Zack Littell (3-6, 4.44 ERA) are set to start Saturday.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Tampa Bay Rays' Randy Arozarena, right, celebrates after his single against the Cleveland Guardians during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Former Tampa Bay Rays catcher and now Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt looks out during introductions prior to a baseball game between the teams in his return to Tropicana Field, Friday, July 12, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls, right, throws to first base after forcing out Cleveland Guardians' Steven Kwan, left, at second base during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco throws against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Taj Bradley throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, July 12, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Palestinian officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed 16 people in the Gaza Strip, including five women and four children.

A strike early Monday flattened a home in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least 10 people, including four women and two children.

The Awda Hospital, which received the bodies, confirmed the toll and said another 13 people were wounded. Hospital records show that the dead included a mother, her child and her five siblings.

Another strike on a home in Gaza City killed six people, including a woman and two children, according to the Civil Defense, first responders who operate under the Hamas-run government.

Israel says it only targets militants and accuses Hamas and other armed groups of endangering civilians by operating in residential areas. The military rarely comments on individual strikes, which often kill women and children.

The Gaza Health Ministry says over 41,000 Palestinians have been killed since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack triggered the war nearly a year ago. It does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count but says a little over half of those killed were women and children. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

Here's the latest:

JERUSALEM — Israel’s defense minister has told his U.S. counterpart that time is running out for an agreement with Hezbollah to halt the fighting along the Israel-Lebanon border.

Yoav Gallant told Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that “the possibility for an agreed framework in the northern arena is running out as Hezbollah continues to ‘tie itself’ to Hamas.”

“The trajectory is clear,” Gallant added, according to a statement released from his office on Monday.

Hezbollah began firing rockets and drones into northern Israel after the outbreak of the war in Gaza, which was ignited by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. Both armed groups are allied with Iran, and Hezbollah says it is acting in solidarity with the Palestinians.

Israel has responded to the attacks with airstrikes and the targeted killing of Hezbollah commanders. It has threatened a wider operation, raising fears of another all-out war.

Hezbollah has said it will halt its attacks if there is a cease-fire in Gaza, but months of talks brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt have repeatedly stalled.

Hamas has demanded a lasting cease-fire and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza as part of any agreement to release the scores of hostages it still holds from the Oct. 7 attack.

Gallant told Austin that “in any possible scenario, Israel’s defense establishment will continue to operate with the aim of dismantling Hamas and ensuring the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza — by any means.”

Israel-Hamas war latest: Israeli airstrikes kill 16 in Gaza, including 4 children, Palestinians say

Israel-Hamas war latest: Israeli airstrikes kill 16 in Gaza, including 4 children, Palestinians say

FILE -Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant attend a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 28, 2023. (Abir Sultan/Pool Photo via AP, File)