Latos throws 7 sharp innings, Padres beat Rays 2-1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Mat Latos allowed three hits in seven scoreless innings and the San Diego Padres beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 on Tuesday night.

Latos (8-4) struck out eight — including his last five batters — and walked one in improving to 7-1 over his last nine starts. The right-hander also has won all three of his interleague starts this season.

Tampa Bay's Wade Davis (5-8) allowed two runs, four hits and five walks in 4 1-3 innings. The right-hander, who has lost all four of his starts in June, threw 103 pitches.

The Rays are 10-16 since May 23, when they held a six-game lead in the AL East. Tampa Bay started Tuesday second in the division, a half-game behind the New York Yankees.

Chase Headley had an RBI infield single and Will Venable was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded as the NL West leaders went up 2-0 in the third. Davis threw 42 pitches during the inning, which included three walks.

The Rays got within 2-1 on John Jaso's one-out RBI single off Mike Adams in the eighth. After Jaso was called out for being hit by Carl Crawford's hard grounder between first and second, Heath Bell entered and got four outs for his 18th save.

Latos retired eight in a row before Jason Bartlett singled in the third. Evan Longoria had a fourth-inning single and Crawford singled in the sixth.

San Diego loaded the bases with two outs in the first, but failed to score when Scott Hairston hit a grounder to shortstop. The Padres were 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position against Davis.

Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez went 2 for 4, extending his hitting streak to 10 games. He has 31 hits in 73 at-bats during June.

NOTES: Tampa Bay TV broadcaster Dewayne Staats called his 5,000th major league game. ... San Diego C Yorvit Torrealba dropped his appeal and started serving a three-game suspension for making contact with an umpire. ... Rays RHP James Shields, who snapped a personal five-game losing streak when he made his first career relief appearance at Florida last Saturday, will make his scheduled start Wednesday against the Padres. Shields pitched a scoreless 10th in a 9-8, 11-inning victory in which Tampa Bay used a club-record nine pitchers. ... Adams had not given up a run in his previous 13 outings.