Rays Take Series Finale Over Rangers With Impressive 3-1 Win on Thursday
ARLINGTON, Texas — For the second time this week, the Tampa Bay Rays dug out of a series hole at the best possible time. On Thursday they beat the Texas Rangers 3-1, winning back-to-back games after dropping the first two to split the seriers.
They did the same thing last weekend against the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field. The Rays are now 30-21 on the season, tying a season by getting back to nine games over .500.
They did with some early runs, something that's been lacking of late, and some great pitching, keyed by veteran starter Corey Kluber.
The Rays got on the board early, scoring in the second inning with doubles from designated hitter Francisco Mejia and shortstop Vidal Brujan.
An absolute rocket of a double from Brujan gets the @RaysBaseball on the board first!
— Bally Sports Sun: Rays (@BallyRays) June 2, 2022
WATCH ➡️ https://t.co/clLPvnAdfs#MLB | #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/0adB3gyxqZ
The Rays added two more in the third to grab a 3-0 lead. Manuel Margot walked with one out and Harold Ramirez singled to center. Yandy Diaz singled to left, scoring Margot. Then Mejia and Isaac Paredes both walked, forcing in the third run.
Kluber pitched well again for the second straight start. He allowed only four hits, and didn't allow a run until the sixth inning, when Marcus Simien touched him for a solo home run with two outs. He also allowed just one run in sixth innings last Saturday in beating the New York Yankees, helping to end a two-game losing streak.
The Rays used four relievers to get through the seventh and eighth, mixing and matching with Jason Adam and Brooks Raley in the seventh, and Shawn Armstrong and J.P. Feyereisen in the eighth.
Rays manager Kevin Cash turned the Ryan Thompson in the ninth. Thompson, who's allowed 10 earned runs in his last six outings, got three straight ground outs to pick up his third save of the season.
The Rays now head back home for a weekend series with the Chicago White Sox, and then three games at Tropicana Field with the St. Louis Cardinals next Tuesday through Thursday.
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Tom Brew is the publisher of Inside The Rays, and has been with the Sports Illustrated/FanNation network for three years. He is an award-winning writer and editor who has spent most of his four-decade career at the Tampa Bay Times, Indianapolis Star and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has written four books.