Reigning American League Cy Young winner Blake Snell returned to his award-winning form on Tuesday night, firing seven shutout innings and striking out 13 in the Tampa Bay Rays' 4-0 win over the visiting Colorado Rockies.

Snell was roughed up by the Houston Astros in an opening-day loss last Thursday, but he bewildered the Rockies from the first pitch of the second meeting between the two clubs in the three-game series.

He cruised through four perfect innings to start, striking out eight of the 12 hitters he faced and six straight.

The left-hander was at his best in the third and fourth, fanning Mark Reynolds looking on a curveball, Chris Iannetta looking on a 97 mph fastball and Pat Valaika swinging on a 96 mph fastball. Then he struck out Charlie Blackmon and Garrett Hampson to start the fourth.

Snell (1-1) allowed just two hits and one walk in his 102-pitch outing, and reliever Wilmer Font closed out the game with two scoreless innings.

Guillermo Heredia stroked a two-run single, Brandon Lowe had two hits off the bench and Christian Arroyo had an RBI single for the Rays, who won their fifth in six games and fifth straight overall.

Rockies starter Kyle Freeland (1-1) allowed three hits and four walks, struck out 10 and was replaced with two outs in the fifth inning at 99 pitches.

Trevor Story had the only two hits -- both singles -- for the Rockies, who have dropped four straight.

The Rays scored on a quirky play in the bottom of the first after loading the bases against Freeland, who walked two batters and tossed a wild pitch.

With one out and the bases loaded, third baseman Nolan Arenado threw home easily in time to get Yandy Diaz on a fielder's choice. However, catcher Iannetta failed to have his foot on the plate, and the call of out was challenged by the Rays, overturned for a 1-0 lead and Iannetta charged with an error.

Heredia followed with a two-run single to left field for a 3-0 lead in the eight-batter frame.

Kevin Kiermaier hit a two-out double, and Arroyo grounded an RBI single through the middle to make it 4-0 in the Rays' sixth.

Diaz doubled in Tampa Bay's eighth but left the game after limping into second base.

--Field Level Media