Pittsburgh Pirates pitch near-perfect in win over Tampa Bay Rays

PITTSBURGH -- A strong outing from Jameson Taillon and Tony Watson's clutch relief work paced the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday at PNC Park.

John Jaso and Gregory Polanco hit solo homers, and Andrew McCutchen continued his torrid pace with a double, two singles and an RBI.

Taillon (4-2), a right-hander making his fourth start since returning from testicular cancer surgery performed on May 8, pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings. He gave up seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Rays starter Chris Archer (6-5) yielded three runs in six innings, allowing eight hits. He struck out five and walked none.

With the Pirates leading 3-0, Jesus Sucre and pinch hitter Mallex Smith started the Rays' seventh with singles. Steven Souza Jr. lined out sharply to left, and Pirates manager Clint Hurdle summoned Watson to face lefty-swinging Corey Dickerson, the Rays' top hitter.

Watson, replaced as the closer earlier this month, fanned Dickerson for the second out, then retired Evan Longoria on a pop fly.

The Rays, who failed to capitalize on several scoring chances in a Wednesday loss to Pittsburgh, started out the same way when Tim Beckham took a called third strike two on and two outs in the first.

In the bottom of the inning, the Pirates had two runners on base and one out before Archer fanned Josh Bell and Jaso.

The Rays started the second with a double and a single but got nothing from it. Sucre hit into a double play and Archer struck out.

Consecutive singles by Adam Frazier, Harrison and McCutchen in the third gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead. Jaso's homer, his sixth, made it 2-0 the next inning.

Polanco homered in the sixth inning, his sixth of the season. Bell stroked an RBI single in the seventh.

NOTES: The Rays activated RHP Brad Boxberger from the 60-day DL and designated RHP Danny Farquhar for assignment. Boxberger has missed the season to date with a lat muscle injury and a strained flexor tendon in his right forearm. Farquhar relieved in 37 games. ... Pirates 3B Josh Harrison was twice hit by pitches, making it seven times in his last 10 games and 18 times overall he has been plunked, tops in the majors. ... Pirates 1B Josh Bell is the fourth switch hitter in team history to hit at last 15 home runs in a season, joining Bobby Bonilla (five times), Neil Walker (three times) and Ryan Doumit (once).