Avisail Garcia, Kevin Kiermaier club 3-run homers in 7th to power Rays past Dodgers

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Avisail Garcia and Kevin Kiermaier each hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning to power the Tampa Bay Rays past the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-1 on Wednesday night.

Kiermaier also made a rocket throw from center field to cut down Cody Bellinger at home plate, keeping the score tied 1-all in the sixth. Bellinger, who was aboard on a fielder’s choice, failed to reach base safely for the first time in 46 starts this season. He went 0 for 4, dropping his major league-leading batting average to .394.

Tommy Pham also homered for the Rays, and Brandon Lowe singled in the go-ahead run to spark a seven-run seventh. Emilio Pagan (1-0) got four outs in relief.

Garcia’s eighth homer came off Dylan Floro, who entered with a 0.44 ERA — best among NL relievers. Floro (1-1) pitched to four batters and got none of them out.

Kiermaier capped the big inning with his fourth home run, which came off left-hander Caleb Ferguson.

Pham led off the fourth with his sixth homer, an opposite-field shot off starter Rich Hill.

Max Muncy tied it with a homer in the sixth off Rays reliever Yonny Chirinos. It was Muncy’s 10th homer of the season and eighth on the road.

Tampa Bay opener Ryne Stanek pitched 1 2/3 innings, giving up a hit and a walk while striking out two.

After Muncy’s home run in the sixth, Bellinger kept the inning going by beating a throw to first base to prevent a double play. He tried to score the lead run on Russell Martin’s two-out single, but Kiermaier threw him out.

Bellinger’s 45-game on-base streak to start the season stands as the sixth-longest in major league history. The longest, 57 games, was accomplished by John Olerud of the New York Mets in 1999.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: RHP Pedro Baez will be available to pitch Friday after being hit by a line drive just below the right knee Tuesday night. … RHP Kenta Maeda (left adductor strain) will pitch Sunday at Pittsburgh, his first start since May 15.

Rays: 3B-1B Yandy Diaz, hit on the left hand by a pitch Sunday, was out of the lineup for the second straight game. … INF Joey Wendle, out since April 26 with a broken right wrist, had his cast removed and will increase range of motion and strengthening drills. … Rehabbing INF Matt Duffy aggravated his strained left hamstring and will be evaluated.