Meadows now has 29 homers on the season./CHUCK MULLER
Wednesday, 4 a.m.
The formula is simple. You play baseball until the other team forgets how.
And then you win.
Again.
The Tampa Bay Rays took advantage of the Texas Rangers falling apart in the 11th inning Tuesday night, winning their sixth straight game (and 11th of the last 12). The Rays rallied from three runs down in the game to remain a game and a half ahead in the Wild-Card race.
The 11th inning was the one when the Rangers gift-wrapped the game, however.
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Adames' hustle kept the 11th inning alive/CHUCK MULLER
Matt Duffy singled, and, with two out, Willie Adames beat out a grounder to Elvis Andrus. Keon Wong then pounded a ball into the dirt, and the Rangers fell into brain-cramp mode.
Pitcher Emmanuel Clase fumbled with the grounder, then picked it up and rushed his throw to first, enabling Wong to reach safely. But Rougned Odor picked up the ball and tried to pick Adames off of second. Instead he threw the ball into left field, letting Nick Lowe (who had reached on a fielder's choice) score. Guillermo Heredia then singled for the extra run.
The flaw in the Rangers play was that not only was Adames not in a position where he could be thrown out, he could not have gone to third. Lowe was still there.
"It was kind of a funky play," Rays' manager Kevin Cash said. "We see pitchers bobble the ball a lot, He (Odor) thought he had the guy picked off, and it kind of sailed on him. We benefited from it."
Rays' pitcher Ryan Yarbrough gave up three runs in the fourth inning, but the Rays came back, tying the score on Austin Meadows' 29th home run of the season.
"He’s been a superstar for us," Cash said. "We try to stay out of his way. It’s special what he’s done for us at the plate."
Yarbrough gave up three hits, but the Rays' bullpen was solid again. Pete Fairbanks gave up the other two hits the Rangers got.
The Rays play at Texas again tonight. Andrew Kittredge will pitch for the Rays against Ariel Jurado at 8:10 p.m.
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