Cash seems to be running low on pitchers./CARMEN MANDATO
Wednesday, 2 a.m.
The Tampa Bay Rays' reliance on their bullpen caught up with them Tuesday night.
The Texas Rangers scored seven runs late in the game, blowing open the game and cruising to a 9-5 victory over the Rays. It was Tampa Bay's 20th loss of the season in a game in which they held the lead.
This time, the Rays took a 5-2 lead, but couldn't hold with their weary bullpen. The Rays used eight pitchers on Monday, six on Tuesday and six Wednesday night.
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Souza's two-run homer gave the Rays' an early lead./TRAVIS PENDERGRASS
Much of the reason for the bullpen usage was a mild groin strain by Rays' starter Matt Andriese, who had been 4-0 in May.
“It was very uncomfortable,” Andriese said. “I felt it on the second pitch of the second inning. I'm just going to come in tomorrow and see how it feels.”
The Rays didn't score after the fifth inning.
Beckham had three hits to pace the Rays./CARMEN MANDATO
Tampa Bay still held a 5-2 lead with two out in the seventh, seven outs from a win. But a single and a walk set up Elvis Andrus' three-run homer to tie the game.
The Rangers loaded the bases in the eighth, and Andrus' two-run single to left broke the game open.
For the Rays, Daniel Robertson, Steven Souza Jr. and Kevin Kiermaier all homered. Tim Beckham had three hits, and Corey Dickerson, Kiermaier and Souza, Jr. all had two.
Kiermaier starting to warm up at the plate./CARMEN MANDATO
The Rays and Rangers play again today. Chris Archer pitches for the Rays against the Rangers' Austin Bibens-Dirkx .
”We need to find a way to win a series again,” said Rays' manager Kevin Cash. “We have the right guy on the mound. He provides a lot of length and quality starts.”
Tampa Bay, earlier, sent Jose De Leon down and placed Peter Bourjos on the disabled list. They called up Hunter Wood and Chih-Wei Hu from the minors. Wood became the sixth Rays' player to make his major-league debut this season.
Andriese left early with a pulled groin muscle./CARMEN MADATO
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