CLEVELAND -- The Rays made a statement earlier this season by using relief pitchers to start games and opting to bring most of their starters in for long relief.
It was the same bold and unique strategy used Sunday at Progressive Field to silence the Indians' bats until a late rally needed to be thwarted. Tampa Bay used six pitchers to hold the Tribe to five hits and take the rubber game, 6-4.
Right-hander Diego Castillo started for the Rays. He faced four batters on 16 pitches and pitched a perfect first. He gave way to lefty Ryan Yarbrough (13-5) who picked up the win with five strong innings, allowing a run on two hits while striking out three.
"They have a lot of different looks," Indians manager Terry Francona said of the Rays' pitching. "They start a power right-hander, go with a lefty that spins the ball and throws a changeup. It's hard to see. That's for both teams. But he throws a ton of strikes and for the most part kind of keeps us off the barrel."

Indians starter Carlos Carrasco (16-8) allowed five runs but kept the game close until the seventh, when the Rays rallied for four runs to break the game open. The right-hander also scattered nine hits, fanned nine and issued pair of walks during his 6 1/3 innings.
"I thought overall he was pretty good," Francona said. "He spins the ball so well that even when he doesn't have his best fastball he's still pretty effective."
Brandon Lowe opened the scoring in the second with a leadoff home run to left-center field off a first-pitch fastball, marking the second baseman's second of the series and third of the year. C.J. Cron led off the fourth with his 26th homer on another first-pitch offering from Carrasco.
Carrasco faced four batters in the seventh, and issued a walk, a sacrifice bunt and a run-scoring double and triple before giving way to Neil Ramirez, who walked two batters and allowed a two-run double to Lowe. Tyler Olson entered the game to strike out Jake Bauers on four pitches to escape the frame.
"I made a couple of mistakes," Carrasco said. "I think for the most part it was good. But it is what it is."
The Tribe scored its first run in the seventh on a single from Jose Ramirez that bounced just past Lowe into shallow right-center to score Michael Brantley. Left-hander Adam Kolarek came out of the bullpen and induced a deep flyout and an inning-ending double play to prevent further damage.

"The Cleveland lineup is extremely talented," said Rays manager Kevin Cash. "They're probably not clicking on all cylinders right now, but they'll get it going. They're too talented not to."
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Late rally stopped short: The Tribe posted three runs in the ninth inning, but were unable to complete the comeback with the tying run at the plate. Leadoff man Francisco Lindor sparked the rally with a single and advanced into scoring position with a groundout from Brantley. Hunter Wood then walked Ramirez and yielded a run-scoring single to Yandy Diaz. Jose Alvarado entered the game and yielded a two-run double to Melky Cabrera, making it 6-4.

Cabrera took third with two outs on defensive indifference, but Alvarado struck out Jason Kipnis -- who homered in the ninth during the Tribe's 5-3 loss Saturday.

Haase's big league debut: Catcher Eric Haase got his first taste of big league action by entering the game as a defensive replacement for starter Roberto Perez to start the seventh. Cleveland's 2011 seventh-round Draft pick took his first Major League at-bat in the eighth, with a runner on second. Haase, a Westland, Mich., native fouled off three pitches, but ultimately struck out.
With family in attendance for Haase, who was called up Saturday, Francona figured it was the best time to give the rookie a rep.
"I thought it was a good time to do it," Francona said. "I know his mom and dad were still here. I wanted to get him in there."
MITEL REPLAY OF THE DAY
Kipnis likely saved a run with a strong heads-up play in the eighth inning. He was stationed in shallow right field when Carlos Gomez chopped a ground ball up the middle. Kipnis ranged to right, fielded and threw off-balance across his body to first base just before Gomez crossed the bag. Gomez was initially ruled safe by first-base umpire Chris Segal, but the play was overturned after a 1-minute, 14-second review.

UP NEXT
Right-hander Adam Plutko (4-4, 4.94 ERA) is scheduled to startMonday against the Royals at Progressive Field in a 4:10 p.m. ET start time. He allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings against the Twins on Aug. 29. The Royals will start righty Jakob Junis (7-12, 4.53).