ST. PETERSBURG — Yandy Díaz launched a first-pitch leadoff homer and Ryan Vilade followed with a two-run shot in the first inning, and a parade of Rays pitchers made the early cushion stand up in a 3-0 shutout of the Texas Rangers at Tropicana Field.

The win was Tampa Bay’s ninth shutout of the season and third in the past four games. Since surrendering 28 runs during a four-game series in Boston coming out of the All-Star break, the Rays have allowed just 15 runs over their last nine games.

“There’s not much you can say, really,” Díaz said through interpreter Kevin Vera. “The only thing that comes to mind is, like you guys say, ‘These guys are nasty.’ Our pitchers are nasty.”

Opener Casey Legumina retired five of the six batters he faced before handing the ball to left-hander Ian Seymour, who set down 14 of the 17 batters he faced into the seventh inning. Left-hander Garrett Cleavinger stranded a pair of runners in the seventh, striking out Cam Cauley to end an eight-pitch battle before retiring Alejandro Osuna on one pitch. Kevin Kelly struck out the side in the eighth.

“Just committing to our process and attacking the zone, gaining count control and relying on the defense behind us,” Seymour said. “That’s been leading to some good outcomes.”

Bryan Baker closed it out in the ninth for his 29th save, second-most in the Majors behind Cleveland’s Cade Smith, and his 18th consecutive save. The Rays’ staff threw 24 first-pitch strikes to the 32 batters they faced, walked just one and ran only three three-ball counts all night. Texas managed four doubles but never advanced a runner to third base.

“Anytime you can have that many shutouts in a short period of time, you’re doing something right,” Baker said. “So, hopefully we can keep that coming.”

The game produced a statistical oddity: the Rays hit two homers and a double while the Rangers collected four doubles, making it the first game in franchise history in which every hit from both teams went for extra bases. According to Stats Perform, it was only the seventh such game in MLB’s modern era, the most recent being the Dodgers’ 6-2 win over the Braves on Aug. 18, 2012.

Tampa Bay did not record a hit after the first inning against Rangers starter MacKenzie Gore. It was the 15th time in franchise history the Rays won while scoring all their runs in the first inning and just the second time — after Aug. 21, 2014, against the Tigers — they won with all their hits coming in the opening frame. The only baserunners after the first were Ben Williamson, hit by a pitch in the fifth, and Díaz, who walked in the eighth.

Díaz’s blast was his 15th homer of the season and his 114th as a Ray, tying Ben Zobrist for sixth in franchise history. Jonathan Aranda doubled off Gore before Vilade connected for his ninth homer of the season, fifth-most on the club despite ranking 11th in plate appearances. The Rays had gone without a home run in five of their previous six games after homering in 20 of 25 games before that stretch.

“Whether he’s in there every day or not, he’s always ready,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Vilade. “When he gets his opportunities, he’s just come up with so many big hits, big home runs here this season.”

“Yeah, that’s a pretty good start to the day,” Seymour said, smiling. “Much more comfortable pitching with a 3-nothing lead.”