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Milwaukee Brewers: Orlando Arcia scores twice to top Tampa Bay Rays

By Greg Auman, The Sports Xchange
Orlando Arcia and the Milwaukee Brewers edged the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. Photo by Frank Polich/UPI
Orlando Arcia and the Milwaukee Brewers edged the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. Photo by Frank Polich/UPI | License Photo

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Orlando Arcia, hitting ninth in the batting order, had a triple and home run, scoring the only runs in the Milwaukee Brewers' 2-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night at Tropicana Field.

Brewers rookie Brandon Woodruff (1-0) was superb in his major league debut, getting out of early jams and throwing 6 1/3 shutout innings against a team that had just won three straight against the Astros.

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Milwaukee (58-53) won without much help from their bats for the second straight game and Tampa Bay (57-54) spoiled a solid start from rookie Jake Faria (5-2).

Brewers closer Corey Knebel pitched a scoreless ninth for his 21st save this season, getting all three outs by strikeout.

Arcia added an insurance run in the eighth with a home run -- his 10th of the season -- off reliever Sergio Romo, extending the lead to 2-0.

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Milwaukee won despite being held to five hits by Tampa Bay pitching, but the Rays left 11 runners on base in the loss.

The Rays nearly tied the score in the seventh with a two-out rally against rookie reliever Josh Hader.

Corey Dickerson, who had walked, tried to score on a double to left field by Evan Longoria, but the throw and Arcia's relay home got there first and catcher Manny Pina tagged him out to preserve the 1-0 lead.

Friday's win was Milwaukee's sixth shutout of the season. The Rays have been shut out six times this year.

The Brewers led 1-0 after five innings thanks to Woodruff. He was scheduled to make his debut in June but was scratched with a hamstring injury and spent six weeks on the disabled list.

Woodruff got himself into and out of trouble in the early innings -- the Rays had the bases loaded in the first two innings, but he got a comebacker from Brad Miller to end the first and then a groundout by Longoria to escape the second unscathed.

The Rays had runners at the corners with no outs in the third but again couldn't convert, with Steven Souza caught in a rundown between first and second to end the inning.

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Tampa Bay got the leadoff man on again in the fourth, but Mallex Smith was picked off by Woodruff to erase another runner.

Milwaukee couldn't muster much at the plate against Faria, who held them to four hits in the first five innings. Arcia led off the third with a triple and scored on Eric Thames' single to right field, providing the only run through five innings.

Woodruff's solid debut came after a rough patch in the minors -- he had gone 1-5 in his last 10 starts with a 6.69 ERA, winning only once since May 7 while missing about half of that time with injury.

NOTES: The Rays made several roster moves, activating INF Daniel Robertson from the 10-day disabled list (neck spasms). The optioned INF Taylor Featherston and LHP Blake Snell to Triple-A Durham and recalled LHP Jose Alvarado to help the bullpen, which was used extensively in three straight wins against the Astros. Snell, winless in 14 starts in two stints with the Rays, is at risk of losing his spot in the rotation in the final two months of the season. Robertson gave SS Adeiny Hechavarria a night off, batting ninth. ... The Brewers placed C Jett Bandy on the 10-day disabled list with a fractured rib, recalling C Andrew Susac from Triple-A Colorado Springs. They also optioned top prospect and OF Lewis Brinson to Colorado Springs to make room for starter Brandon Woodruff, who made his major-league debut.

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