Rays salvage win, end losing streak against Braves

The Tampa Bay Rays snapped their longest losing streak of the season on Sunday with an impressive 10-4 win over the Atlanta Braves in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Isaac Paredes and Yandy Diaz each connected on home runs, and Zach Eflin (10-4) gave up two runs in five innings with five strikeouts. Diaz had three hits and four RBIs.

With the win, the Rays snapped their seven-game losing streak, while salvaging the series finale in the matchup of MLB's top two teams based on records.

The Braves did take two of three in the series, and Travis d'Arnaud belted a home run that extended Atlanta's streak to 26 straight games with a homer, a franchise record.

After being limited to three runs in their previous three games, the Rays' offense broke through against Braves All-Star Bryce Elder (7-2), who was charged with seven runs in 3 and 1/3 innings.

Diaz's home run was his first since May 26.

Pregame, Tampa Bay inducted Wade Boggs into its Rays Hall of Fame, delaying the start of the game by about 20 minutes.

When play got underway, the Rays raced to a four-run lead in the first inning. With two outs, Jonathan Aranda slapped a two-run double, and Paredes crushed a two-run home run.

Elder, an All-Star who will not be participating in the Mid-Summer Classic, needed 35 pitches to get through the first inning.

In the fourth inning, the Braves chipped back with two runs. Matt Olson brought home a run on a double play grounder, and d'Arnaud connected on a home run.

But the Rays answered in the fourth with three runs. Christian Bethancourt slapped an RBI single through a drawn-in infield. Diaz ended Elder's afternoon with a two-run homer.

The Rays padded their lead to 8-2 in the fifth inning on Taylor Walls' RBI ground-rule double, which scored Randy Arozarena, who singled.

In the sixth inning, Olson had an RBI double for the Braves. And in the seventh inning, Michael Harris had a run-scoring single.

Diaz's two-run double in the eighth inning gave Tampa Bay a six-run cushion.