Martinez pitches the Rays past the Guardians 1-0 for their 6th straight win

CLEVELAND (AP) — Nick Martinez pitched three-hit ball into the eighth inning, Jonathan Aranda drove in a run for the third straight game and the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians 1-0 on Tuesday night to extend their winning streak to six games.

The Rays are 13-1 against American League opponents this season, matching the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers, 1984 Detroit Tigers, 1981 Oakland Athletics and 1966 Cleveland Indians for the best start versus AL competition.

Cleveland second baseman Travis Bazzana, the top pick in the 2024 amateur draft, went 0 for 2 with two walks in his major league debut.

The Guardians have dropped four straight and five of six.

Martinez (2-1) threw only 78 pitches, 54 for strikes, and retired nine Cleveland hitters on two pitches or fewer. The right-hander struck out four and walked one. He was lifted after walking Bazzana to start the eighth.

Cleveland loaded the bases with one out on three walks — one intentional — but couldn’t score. Ian Seymour struck out Chase DeLauter, and Kevin Kelly retired José Ramírez on a flyball to deep center field.

Cole Sulser fanned two in a one-hit ninth for his 16th career save and first since 2022 with Miami. The Guardians put two runners on with two outs before Sulser struck out pinch-hitter George Valera to end it.

Taylor Walls drew a walk from Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee (0-4) in the fifth. With two outs, Walls advanced to third on Ben Williamson's base hit to right field and scored when Aranda lined a single just past Bazzana's outstretched glove for his 25th RBI this season, which is second in the AL.

Bibee allowed four hits in five innings. He struck out six and walked three.

Rays RHP Drew Rasmussen (2-0, 2.45 ERA) faces RHP Gavin Williams (4-1, 3.28) in the series finale Wednesday afternoon.

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Cleveland Guardians' Travis Bazzana watches a foul ball during an at bat in the second inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians' Tanner Bibee pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Cleveland, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Cleveland Guardians catcher Bo Naylor, left, covers as Tampa Bay Rays' Chandler Simpson (14) attempts to run home but was called out in the first inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Tampa Bay Rays' Nick Martinez (28) pitches in the first inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Tuesday, April 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

An Afghanistan women's refugee team has been granted eligibility for international competitions, some five years after national team players fled their country's Taliban rule.

The FIFA Council, meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, agreed on Tuesday to amend its regulations to recognize the refugee team, which plays under the name Afghan Women United.

While it is too late for the refugee team to try to qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil, it could participate in qualification for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

“We are proud of the beautiful journey initiated by Afghan Women United, and with this initiative we aim to enable them, as well as other FIFA member associations that may not be able to register a national or representative team for a FIFA competition, to make the next step, in coordination with the relevant confederation,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

The first move toward recognition came last October, when the Afghan refugees played in a tournament that included Chad, Libya and Tunisia in Morocco. That event followed years of lobbying on the team's behalf by players, former captain and activist Khalida Popal and human rights groups.

There are more than 80 Afghan refugee players scattered across Australia, the United States and Europe. Two camps were recently held for the women, one in England and another in Australia.

The team, coached by Pauline Hamill, is expected to play a pair of exhibitions during the upcoming June international window against opponents to be determined.

The Afghan women’s team played its last competitive match in 2018. The Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist group, shut down all women's sports when it returned to power in 2021. The players fled Afghanistan, fearing persecution.

Even before the demise of the team, the Afghan soccer federation was under investigation for misconduct involving the women’s program, including allegations of rape and physical abuse. Keramuddin Keram, the federation president, was banned for life by FIFA.

Discrimination is not allowed under FIFA regulations, but the Afghan federation hasn’t been suspended from international soccer despite failing to acknowledge the women’s team.

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FILE - Members of Afghan Women United soccer team celebrate after scoring a goal against Chad, in their first international tournament since fleeing their country, in Casablanca, Morocco, on Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy, File)