Thursday, 4 a.m.
Now that the Tampa Bay Rays seem to have found themselves, their opponents seem to be getting lost.
The Rays won their 11th game of the last 14 in a 5-4 victory over the Texas Rangers Wednesday night. But the play that will sting was a ground ball in the third inning that scored two runs.
Tampa Bay had runners on second and third with two out when Mangum came to bat. He grounded to first base, but he beat pitcher Kumar Rocker to the bag to drive in the run. But Rocker, dejected because he was outrun to the bag, seemed to lose interest in the play. Jonathan Aranda came home from third.
The Rays came out of the inning with a 5-0 lead. They would need them all as the Rangers came back with three in the fifth and an unearned run in the ninth.
Brandon Lowe had a huge night for the Rays, getting three hits including his 12th home run. Lowe had a single, double and home run. He drove in two runs and was two-for-two with runners in scoring position.
Jonathan Aranda also had an RBI single.
Starting pitcher Shane Baz allowed just one hit through four innings. In the fifth, however, the Rangers had four hits and scored three times to make it a game.
The Rays’ bullpen was strong however. Relievers Manny Rodriguez, Mason Montgomery, Edwin Uceta and Pete Fairbanks didn’t allow an earned run in their four innings.
The Rays go for the sweep today against Texas at 7:35 p.m. at Steinbrenner Field. Ryan Pepiot will start for the Rays against Jack Leiter.