d'Arnaud drove in four runs for the Rays./CHUCK MULLER
Thursday, 4 a.m.
It probably will not surprise you that they gave up eight runs. Hey, this is a team that has given up 61 runs in its last five games.
You will probably shrug when you hear about the eight hits. These days, opposing runners go around the bases like it is a revolving door.
It will probably be only a mild surprise that the Rays walked 10 batters. That's high, but the bullpen has had trouble finding the strike zone lately.
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Pagan recorded seven outs for the save./CHUCK MULLER
Here, then, is the biggest surprise of all.
Despite all of that, the Rays won. They held off the Houston Astros for a 9-8 victory in one of those head-spinning games that was sloppy throughout. The Rays broke a four-game losing streak with the victory.
“They’re really good," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "We knew that coming in. We knew that from the last two times we’ve played them here recently. We didn’t do ourselves any favors today with all the walks, but certainly I was impressed with the way the guys kept answering, kept coming back. That was really encouraging."
If there was a saving grace to the Rays' pitching staff, it was Emilio Pagan, who picked up his 15th save by going 2 1/3 innings. Before that, however, the Rays walked in three runs.
“I’d rather not win it the way we did," Cash said. "To win it was big. We needed to find a week. A lot guys should feel good about themselves. They competed. We needed a win and we got it."
Travis d'Arnaud knocked in four runs in the game with a homer and two singles. Austin Meadows had a homer and a double. Eric Sogard, Tommy Pham, Ji-Man Choi and Avi Garcia all had two hits.
Still, 61 runs allowed in five games? That has to tighten up, or the Rays will watch other teams play for the wild card.
"It was uncharacteristic," Cash said. "The thought is its on one of those days, but going forward we have to eliminate this."
The Rays are home Friday night against Cleveland. Their pitcher has not been announced, but he will face the Indians' Shane Beiber at 7:10 p.m.
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