(Photo credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)

Tampa Bay's top prospect, Carson Williams, is providing major contributions as the Rays make a strong September push.

The shortstop and his teammates -- winners of a season-high seven straight games -- will face the visiting Cleveland Guardians Friday night in the second contest of their four-game series.

The highly touted Williams, who homered in his major league debut on Aug. 22, went 1-for-1 with two RBIs and a walk in the Rays' 4-2 victory over the Guardians on Thursday.

The 22-year-old Californian grounded an RBI infield single in the fourth and resorted to small ball in the sixth, successfully executing a safety squeeze to drive in the final run for his team.

'Yeah, we work on (bunting) a bunch in spring and whenever we get an opportunity in the minors,' Williams said. 'They make sure we have those opportunities.'

Tampa Bay moved within two games of the idle Seattle Mariners, holders of the final wild-card spot. At 71-69, the Rays are tied with the Kansas City Royals.

'We came out flat tonight,' said Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt, who announced the Guardians (69-70) will employ a six-man rotation the rest of the season.

In the second game, Cleveland will seek a win from a young pitcher who has emerged as a promising part of its immediacy and future.

After making 16 starts in each of his first two seasons, third-year Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams (9-5, 3.26) already has established a career high in victories.

The right-hander went 3-1 with a 2.43 ERA in August, easily his best month as he recorded three wins in six starts.

In three career starts against the Rays, the former East Carolina first-round pick (No. 23 in 2021) is 0-1 with a 2.93 ERA.

The Rays will counter with right-handed reliever Griffin Jax (1-7, 4.98), who was acquired from the Minnesota Twins at the trade deadline for starter Taj Bradley.

This will be Jax's 14th appearance, but his first start, for Tampa Bay. He is 0-2 with a 7.20 ERA in 10 innings as a Ray but he has allowed one run or fewer in his last four relief appearances. For his career, he's 4-5 with a 4.10 ERA in 25 appearances (two starts back in 2021) against the Guardians.

Jax is expected to pitch just one inning before giving way to Ian Seymour, who has made just two starts since being moved into the rotation after logging 12 relief appearances following his call-up in June.

One start, the first of his young career, came in Cleveland, when the former Virginia Tech standout shut down the AL Central club on just one hit over five innings for the victory. He struck out eight and walked one.

Tampa Bay announced Thursday that shortstop Taylor Walls underwent sports hernia surgery in Philadelphia and will be lost for the season. He is expected to be healthy for spring training.

Cleveland rookie reliever Nic Enright was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow/forearm inflammation before Thursday night's series opener. Enright is 2-1 with a 2.03 ERA in 27 outings.

The club recalled fellow right-hander Zak Kent to replace Enright.

--Field Level Media