Cole Hamels flirted with a no-hitter until the sixth inning Friday night, but Adrian Beltre upstaged him in the Texas Rangers’ 6-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.
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Top 5, Rangers lead 2-0:: Mitch Moreland homers (21) to left.
Maile, Kentucky’s Mr. Baseball in 2009, was batting.226 with 10 RBI after the home run. It was Perez’s first win in his last eight starts even though he’s pitched at least seven innings in three of his last four turns. The Rays saw their four-game winning streak come to an end Friday after being held without a hit for 5 2/3 innings. In six starts since the All-Star break, Odorizzi is 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA. He allowed six hits and struck out four over six innings, but the damage might’ve been worse if not for a key relay in the sixth.
Franklin drew a walk and scored in the first inning Wednesday before leaving with a head bruise. “Good defense, I guess”. Rangers manager Jeff Banister says his team has to pull it together quickly. “I believe that changes the complexion of the game”. That makes it the second-longest homer by a Ray this season, behind only Evan Longoria’s 462 foot bomb in Colorado, and was tied with Brad Miller’s ninth-inning solo shot on June 17 vs. San Francisco for the hardest hit long ball, at 112 miles per hour. “But if that ball goes off line or if Beckham hesitates at all, he’s safe”.
Andriese threw first-pitch strikes to 15-of-25 batters faced, and 66 of his 95 total pitches ended up as strikes (46 swinging, 20 called, 33 fouls, 13 swings-and-misses).
“Everybody did their job on that play and gave 100 percent”. “They made me work tonight”. “But it’s just one day, and it’s up to us to turn the page tomorrow”.
Rays: RHP Chris Archer (6-16), who leads the majors in losses and the AL in strikeouts with 177, is attempting to avoid becoming the first 20-game loser since Detroit’s Mike Maroth lost 21 in 2003.
Beltre’s second homer came off Garton in the seventh. The big blow was a three-run double by Brad Miller after a walk to Longoria. The only support the Rangers gave him was a solo homer from Rougned Odor, though they missed two other chances against Jake Odorizzi. Nomar Mazara singles to right, scoring Jonathan Lucroy (single).
Beltre’s two-homer, four-hit game Friday night occurred after he was informed of his grandfather’s death on Thursday, the Rangers said.
The collective bargaining agreement allows Beltre to take bereavement leave to attend the funeral.
I’m going to take the under here due to the quality pitching matchup.
The Raymond & DJ Kitty Double Bobblehead giveaway will not happen at Sunday’s game after the vendor informed the Rays the shipment would not arrive on time.
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Rays: 2B Logan Forsythe (back spasms) could be back in the starting lineup Sunday. The Rays removed Kiermaier with left hip tightness as a precaution.
