Corey lights the way with 4-4 day

  

Corey Dickerson had four hits, including two doubles, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-3 on Friday night.

Adeiny Hechavarria added three hits and two RBIs, helping Tampa Bay to its fourth win in five games. Steven Souza Jr. homered, Kevin Kiermaier also drove in two runs and the Rays finished with 16 hits.

Sergio Romo (2-1) earned the win with two scoreless innings in relief of Jake Odorizzi, who allowed three runs in 3 2/3 innings. The Rays' bullpen combined for 5 1/3 scoreless innings.

St. Louis right-hander Michael Wacha (9-7) was charged with five runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. The Cardinals have dropped five of six and eight of 11.

St. Louis jumped in front on Dexter Fowler's sacrifice fly in the first, but Tampa Bay responded with four runs in the third.

Souza led off with his 28th homer. Hechavarria hit a two-run double down the third-base line, and Odorizzi helped himself with a two-out RBI single.

Yadier Molina hit a sacrifice fly in the third for the Cardinals, and Kolten Wong went deep in the fourth.

Tampa Bay stretched its lead to 7-3 on Kiermaier's two-run single in the ninth off Brett Cecil.

MAKING MOVES

Tampa Bay signed infielder Danny Espinosa and optioned infielder Daniel Robertson to Triple-A Durham. The Rays also announced that infielder Trevor Plouffe cleared waivers and will be out-righted to Durham.

Espinosa, who was released by Seattle on Monday, started at second base and hit eighth in the order. He went 1 for 4 with a walk.

IN THE SHOW

Cardinals reliever Ryan Sherriff made his major league debut, tossing three scoreless innings. The left-hander allowed two hits, struck out four and walked one.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rays: 2B Brad Miller was not in the starting lineup. He pinch-hit in the seventh inning and struck out. He left Thursday's game against Toronto with a bruised right shoulder after being hit by a pitch.

Cardinals: 1B Matt Carpenter returned to the lineup after missing two games with a virus. ... OF Tommy Pham (foot soreness) was out of the starting lineup, but had a pinch-hit single in the seventh inning.

UP NEXT

Rays: LHP Blake Snell (2-6, 4.42 ERA) allowed two hits and struck out eight over seven innings in his previous start, Sunday against the Mariners. He has a 3.43 ERA over his last eight starts.

Cardinals: RHP Mike Leake (7-12, 4.16 ERA) is 2-10 in his last 12 decisions and is 0-3 with a 10.31 ERA in five starts in August.