ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Five Tampa Bay pitchers combined for seven hitless innings, and the Rays beat the Indians 4-0 Wednesday for a doubleheader sweep.

Collin McHugh (two perfect innings), Josh Fleming (7-4 after allowing one walk in 2 2/3 innings), Diego Castillo (one out), Matt Wisler (one inning) and Pete Fairbanks (one inning) combined for the hitless performance in a game shortened to seven innings under pandemic rules.

The game will not go into the official list of no-hitters. MLB’s eight-man committee on statistical accuracy decided in 1991 that a no-hitter was a game of nine or more innings that ended with no hits.

Arizona’s Madison Bumgarner pitched a seven-inning no-hitter against Atlanta in the second game of a doubleheader on April 25, another that did not officially count.

There have been seven official no-hitters this season, one shy of the high set in 1884, the first year overhand pitching was allowed.

Cleveland had just three baserunners, including Oscar Mercado, who reached safely against Josh Fleming after third baseman Wander Franco and shortstop Taylor Walls collided on a routine grounder leading off in the third. Originally scored as an infield single, the call was changed one inning later to an error on Franco for running into Walls.

Walls helped start a nifty double play to end the third when he slid to field Ernie Clement’s grounder. Franco also made a pair of nice defensive plays on fourth-inning grounders.

Walls put the Rays up 2-0 in Game 2 on two-out RBI singles off Sam Hentges (1-4) in the second and fourth. Yandy Diaz extended the advantage to 4-0 on a fifth-inning two-run single against Nick Sandlin.

Hentges gave up four runs and five hits over 4 1/3 innings.

Kevin Kiermaier homered and drove in a career-high five runs, Vidal Brujan had an RBI single in his major league debut, and the Rays won the opener 8-1.

Franmil Reyes homered for the Indians, who have lost nine in a row. He homered and tied a career-high with five RBI in Monday night’s 9-8 loss to the Rays.

It is the the longest losing streak during Terry Francona’s managerial time with Cleveland. The Indians dropped eight straight from Sept. 8-16, 2020, and from June 2-10, 2013.

BLUE JAYS 10, ORIOLES 2: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had three hits and drove in two runs to increase his major league-leading RBI total to 73, Bo Bichette homered and Toronto won at Baltimore.

Guerrero hit RBI singles in the first and fourth innings to help Toronto build a 6-0 lead. The 22-year-old star also singled in third inning and finished 3 for 4 to raise his batting average to .341.

Bichette drove in three runs and had three hits, including a two-run drive into the left-field seats that made it 9-1 in the sixth.

WHITE SOX 6, TWINS 1: Lance Lynn allowed one run over six innings in his first start since earning a berth on the AL All-Star team, and visiting Chicago beat Minnesota.

Tim Anderson had four hits and Leury Garcia hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the second inning and added a run-scoring triple and a single.

Chicago is 10-2 against Minnesota this season, outscoring the Twins 91-47. The White Sox had 15 hits for the third time this season to go along with 18- and 16-hit games.

TIGERS 5, RANGERS 3: Miguel Cabrera had a go-ahead RBI infield single as a pinch hitter for Detroit right after previously unbeaten All-Star pitcher Kyle Gibson left with the bases loaded, and the Tigers beat host Texas.

Joey Gallo homered twice to become the first Rangers player ever with 10 homers in a 10-game stretch, and those solo shots combined went more than 900 feet. The All-Star right fielder, who has 23 homers overall, also had his fourth outfield assist of the season, and drove in the other Texas run when he drew his AL-best 67th walk with the bases loaded in the eighth.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

METS-BREWERS SPLIT: His ERA over 1.00 for the first time this season, Jacob deGrom will skip the All-Star Game.

The Mets’ ace gave up a pair of solo home runs and got his third straight no-decision as New York beat the Brewers 4-3 in the eight-inning opener of a doubleheader split.

Milwaukee won the second game 5-0 behind two-run homers by Manny Pina and Luis Urias along with Willy Adames’ solo shot. Urias homered twice in the doubleheader to raise his total to 12, after he hit none last year.

DeGrom allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks – his seventh start with double-digit strikeouts this season. His ERA has risen from 0.50 to 1.08 in his last three starts.

Mets Manager Luis Rojas and deGrom said they were open to deGrom pitching on short rest in Sunday’s first-half finale.

“Being named to an All-Star team is a great honor,” said deGrom, a four-time All-Star. “But I’m going to take that time and just enjoy it with my family, whether I pitch Sunday or not. Get healthy for the second half.”

BRAVES 14, PIRATES 3: Pinch-hitter Abraham Almonte had a go-ahead, two-run single in the sixth inning and added a two-run home run as visiting Atlanta avoided a sweep.

Almonte put the Braves in front in the sixth with a sharp ground ball up the middle against Kyle Crick (1-1) that started a five-run outburst. Almonte followed with a shot to the seats in right-center field during a seven-run eighth as the Braves piled on following a 1-hour, 18-minute rain delay.

Ronald Acuna Jr. hit his 24th home run for the Braves, going 3 for 5. Freddie Freeman, Dansby Swanson, Ehire Adrianza and Austin Riley all had two hits apiece for Atlanta.

INTERLEAGUE

REDS 5, ROYALS 2: Sonny Gray gave up two runs over seven innings, and Jonathan India hit a two-run double as visiting Cincinnati rallied for three runs in the seventh inning to beat Kansas City.

Gray (2-4) allowed seven hits, struck out seven and walked two to end a three-start winless streak.

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