Fernando Perez knocked in Evan Longoria with
the go-head run in the ninth, as the Tampa Bay Rays scored seven times in the
final two innings to shock Texas, 7-6, in the finale of a three-game set.
Ben Zobrist finished with two hits and four RBI, while Carl Crawford went 3-
for-5 with an RBI and scored twice for the Rays, who were able to salvage a
win in the series. Tampa Bay has split its last six overall. Jason Bartlett
chipped in with a pair of hits and two runs scored.
David Price went five innings and gave five runs on six hits. Randy Choate
(1-0) picked up the win despite allowing a run in the bottom of the eighth.
Lance Cormier earned his second save of the season.
Nelson Cruz hit a two-run homer, while Marlon Byrd added a solo shot for
Texas, which has split its last eight contests. The loss was a costly one as
the Rangers fell to six games behind the American League West-leading Angels.
Texas will visit LA in a key four-game series beginning on Monday. The Angels
defeated Oakland on Sunday.
Brandon McCarthy earned a no-decision despite allowing two unearned runs on
six hits in 7 2/3 innings.
With the Rangers in front 6-3, closer Frank Francisco (2-3), who got the final
out of the eighth inning, stayed on for the ninth and ran into major trouble.
He issued a leadoff walk to pinch-hitter Akinori Iwamura and Bartlett singled
two batters later. Crawford then knocked in a run with a base hit and a walk
to Longoria loaded the bases.
Zobrist's single through the right side allowed two more to come home and to
tie things. Neftali Feliz was then summoned from the Rangers 'pen and Perez's
groundout brought in Longoria to put the Rays ahead 7-6.
In the bottom half of the ninth, Grant Balfour took the hill and retired the
first two hitters before handing the ball off to Cormier, who walked Chris
Davis but got pinch-hitter Julio Bourbon to fly out to center.
Cruz's two-out, two-run homer to straightaway center in the second gave Texas
the early advantage.
The Rangers then tacked on three more in the fifth. Ian Kinsler's RBI double,
an Elvis Andrus run-scoring infield single and a sacrifice fly from David
Murphy stretched the hosts' lead to five.
In the top of the eighth and two down, third baseman Chris Davis' fielding
error allowed Bartlett to reach. With the bases loaded later in the inning,
Zobrist's single to center plated a pair and a Willy Aybar RBI base hit got
the Rays to within two.
After B.J. Upton was hit by a pitch to load the bases again, Francisco came in
out of the Rangers bullpen and fanned pinch-hitter Gregg Zaun to end the
inning.
Byrd's solo homer to center in the bottom of the eighth put Texas in front
6-3.
Game Notes
Tampa Bay hosts Baltimore for a four-game series starting on Monday...Despite
the loss, the Rangers won six of nine from the Rays this season.
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