Rays beat the Guardians 11-3 behind homers from Ryan Vilade and Richie Palacios

By: Erik Erlendsson, The Associated Press Posted: 9:25 PM CDT Friday, Jul. 24, 2026

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Vilade and Richie Palacios hit home runs, Nick Fortes had four hits, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 11-3 on Friday night.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Vilade and Richie Palacios hit home runs, Nick Fortes had four hits, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 11-3 on Friday night.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Vilade and Richie Palacios hit home runs, Nick Fortes had four hits, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 11-3 on Friday night.

Shane McClanahan (9-6) allowed one run on two hits while striking out three and walking a pair in five innings. He improved to 7-1 in nine home starts this season. Chris Roycroft earned his first career save, allowing two runs on four hits in three innings.

Fortes tied a career high in hits, drove in a pair of runs and scored twice as he extended his hitting streak to five games, going 11 for 19 in that span.

Tampa Bay Rays' Richie Palacios drops his bat as he watches his three-run home run off Cleveland Guardians pitcher Hunter Gaddis during the eighth inning of a baseball game Friday, July 24, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay’s Nos. 4-9 hitters finished a combined 13 for 26 with 10 RBIs in the game.

Joey Cantillo (8-6) allowed five runs over 3 2/3 innings and Austin Hedges hit a two-run home run in the ninth for the Guardians. Cleveland has dropped three consecutive games.

Vilade hit his eighth home run of the season in the second to give Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead. Chase DeLauter and Brayan Rocchio doubled in the fourth to bring the Guardians to within one.

Tampa Bay broke the game open in the fourth as the first six batters reached base to stretch the lead to 5-1. Fortes came home on Junior Caminero’s base hit and an error at the plate by Hedges in the sixth to make it 6-1 before Fortes finished his night at the plate with a double to bring in Ben Williamson in the seventh.

Chandler Simpson hit a sacrifice fly and Palacios capped the scoring for the Rays with a three-run home run in the eighth.

Up Next

Cleveland will send RHP Tanner Bibee (4-9, 3.86 ERA) to the mound on Saturday against Tampa Bay RHP Nick Martinez (9-2, 2.59) for the second game of the three-game series.

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