Saturday, 4 a.m.
For once, Bryan Baker couldn't slam shut the door.
So Tyler Wells gave him a push.
Baker, the top closer in the American League, came into the game seeking his 40th save as the Tampa Bay Rays led Texas, 7-5. But Baker, fighting illness, walked the first two batters he faced, and manager Kevin Cash went to the bulllpen to bring in Wells, recently acquired from Baltimore.
The Rangers got one run in on a sacrifice fly, but Wells left the tying run stranded at third as the Rays won 7-6 at Globe Life Field. It was the sixth save of the season for Wells.
The Rays seemed to be headed toward an easy win. They led 6-1 after five innings. But once Rays' starter Nick Martinez (14-4) left the game, the Rangers came alive.
Martinez left the game after giving up a hit and a walk. But when Garrett Cleavinger came in, the game turned wonky. Cleavinger walked a batter to load the bases, then gave up a grand slam to Ellis Diaz to bring the Rangers within a run.
In his last two outings, Cleavinger has given up a five runs, two hits and four walks while recording just two outs.
The Rays bult a five-rn lead on homers by Jonathan Aranda (his 18th), Richie Palacios (his seventh). They scored four times in the fifth on consecutive doubles by Yandy Diaz, Aranda and Junior Caminero. Victor Mesa singled in a run, and a fourth scored on Cedric Mullins double play.
The biggest run of all, however, may have come when Caminero singled on Jorge Mateo.
Diaz had three hits for the Rays, Aranda, Caminero and Chandler Simpson all had two hits.
The Rays and Rangers play again tonight at 8:05 at Globe Life. Drew Rasmussen (14-5) will start against Jacob deGrom (10-9).
