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          Snell tosses 6 strong innings as Rays top Rockies 10-1.

          Jul 20, 2016
          • Associated Press

          DENVER -- The Tampa Bay Rays waited 41 days to end their road futility, so a couple extra hours didn't bother them.

          When they finally got going, it didn't take long to seize control.

          Blake Snell waited out severe weather to hold Colorado to one hit over six strong innings, Evan Longoria homered and drove in three runs and Tampa Bay beat the Rockies 10-1 on Tuesday night to end an 11-game road losing streak.

          Snell (2-4) struck out nine and Matt Andriese pitched the final three innings for his first save. Steve Pearce also homered in his return from the disabled list for the Rays, who ended the third longest road losing streak in club history.

          "It feels good," Snell said. "I definitely think we're turning it around, pieces are coming back. I feel like we're going to get it going."

          Tampa Bay had dropped 25 of 29 games since June 15 to fall to 23 games under .500.

          Heavy rain and lightning delayed the start of the game by 2 hours, 1 minute. The late start didn't bother the Rays, who ended the longest road losing streak in the majors this season. Their last road win was June 8 at Arizona.

          They broke out against Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood (8-6). Longoria's RBI single in the first got Tampa Bay on the board, and after consecutive doubles in the third, he launched a mammoth home run onto the concourse in left field that bounced out of Coors Field.

          The homer, his 22nd, went an estimated 462 feet and gave the Rays a 5-0 lead. It is the longest home run by a Rays player since J.P. Arencibia's 464-foot blast at Detroit on Sept. 7, 2015.

          "That's a bomb in any park," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said of Longoria's shot. "That ball went a long way."

          They tacked on another run on Kevin Kiermaier's RBI double later in the third and Pearce's two-run homer capped a three-run ninth off reliever Gonzalez Germen.

          Snell didn't allow a run for the first time in his seven starts. The only hit he allowed was a leadoff single by Charlie Blackmon in the fourth, and he stranded him at third by fanning Nolan Arenado and getting Ryan Raburn to fly out.

          "We've been extremely positive with everything Blake has done since he's been here," Cash said. "This justifies it, this type of outing. It's a little unfair to expect a ton out of a guy making his debut. Today he put it together and we saw the elite pitcher we've heard about for quite some time."

          Snell said he didn't use his curveball much because he didn't have a good feel for it, so he went to his slider and elevated his fastball to keep Colorado's hitters off balance.

          "I feel it's a hard pitch to hit, especially when they're looking down for sliders," Snell said. "Fastball up in the zone is hard to get to."

          Only four Rockies hitters reached base against Snell. Trevor Story spoiled the bid for a shutout with his 23rd homer in the ninth.

          TRAINER'S ROOM

          Rays: Pearce (strained right hamstring) was reinstated from the 15-day disabled list and OF Nick Franklin was optioned to Triple-A Durham. ... RHP Brad Boxberger (oblique) will make another rehab appearance Thursday.

          Rockies: LHP Chris Rusin (left shoulder strain) allowed one run on four hits in four innings in his second rehab start for Triple-A Albuquerque.

          HOME COOKED

          Chatwood has been masterful on the road but has struggled at home this season. The righty is 3-6 with a 6.14 ERA at Coors Field after allowing seven runs in four-plus innings Tuesday night. Conversely, he is 5-0 with a 1.30 ERA on the road.

          "At some point, you got to make an adjustment and I didn't make that adjustment tonight," Chatwood said.

          UP NEXT

          Tampa Bay righty Chris Archer(4-13) has lost his last six decisions and is one shy of matching his career-high losing streak. Colorado left-hander Jorge De La Rosa (6-6) is 4-2 with a 2.68 in six starts since returning to the rotation on June 14.