On-target Snell helps Tampa Bay snap skid

ST. PETERSBURG — Blake Snell delivered the best outing of his young career and the Rays offense continued its homer-hitting ways for a 3-0 victory Sunday against the Seattle Mariners in front of 13,354 fans at Tropicana Field.

The win, only the fourth in their past 16 games, snapped a four-game losing streak for the Rays (61-65). They began the day four games back of the AL’s second wild-card spot. Kevin Kiermaier, who returned Friday from the disabled list, continued to be a spark for the offense. He got things started in the first inning with a leadoff homer off the batter’s eye in center. Kiermaier is 6-for-15 since rejoining the team.

Adeiny Hechavarria hit a two-run homer in the seventh to make it a three-run game. The two home runs for the Rays followed their three-homer output in Saturday’s 7-6 loss. It was the Rays’ first victory against the Mariners this season, following five losses.

The rest of the day belonged to Snell, who won his second straight start.

“I wish I would have come together a lot sooner, but I feel really good about where I’m at,” said Snell, the only starting pitcher to win for Tampa Bay in its last 17 games.

Snell, who ended a streak of 16 winless starts with a victory Tuesday at Toronto, gave up a leadoff single to Nelson Cruz in the second inning and another single to Robinson Cano in the eighth. The left-hander retired 12 straight during one stretch. His strikeout of Cruz after Cano’s hit was the key out of the game to Snell, who led 1-0 at the time.

“You can’t control what just happened, you can only control what’s going to happen,” Snell reminded himself. “Any at-bat against a really good hitter is going to be a big at-bat, especially when you know with one bad pitch he can capitalize.”

Snell (2-6) struck out eight and walked two, winning consecutive starts for the first time in his career. Alex Colome pitched the ninth for his 36th save.

Cruz’s single extended his hitting streak to 12 games. But the Mariners' designated hitter — who leads the AL with 100 RBIs — might be reduced to a pinch-hitting role during Seattle's upcoming interleague series at Atlanta. The slugger has been pleading with Scott Servais to play the outfield, but the manager says Cruz is too hot at the plate to take any risks.

“I'm not saying he couldn't show up out there, but right now the plan is to be available to pinch-hit off the bench,” Servais said. “I say that now. Things could change by Wednesday.”