TAMPA — Brandon Lowe homered and doubled in a run, during a four-run third, and Shane Baz worked a solid five innings to lead the Rays to a 5-4 victory over the Rangers on Wednesday.
The Rays improved to 32-29, matching their season high of three games over .500. They won for the 11th time in their last 14 games and 16th in 24.
Baz had to battle to get through the fifth inning after allowing three runs but improved his record to 5-3 with a 4.96 ERA. Closer Pete Fairbanks allowed an unearned run in the ninth before finishing for his 11th save in 12 chances.
The Rays scored first, as they have nine times in their last 12 games. Brandon Lowe homered off Texas starter Kumar Rocker in the first, his 12th of the season and seventh in his past 18 games.
The Rays expanded their lead to 5-0 in the third, with nine batters coming to the plate.
Back-to-back doubles by Josh Lowe and Brandon Lowe got them one run, consecutive singles by Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda another.
The two runners moved up on a Junior Caminero ground out, and Jake Mangum’s slow roller to first got both home. Diaz scored from third when first baseman Jake Burger’s toss wasn’t in time to Rocker covering the bag. Then, with Rocker not paying attention, Aranda made a heads-up play and raced home.
Baz kept the Rangers scoreless through the first four innings, but they got to him for three runs in the fifth, ending his night.
They got two after Adolis Garcia singled with one out and Jonah Heim, a former Rays minor-leaguer, drove a ball to the leftfield wall that just escaped the leaping reach of Mangum for a two-run homer.
Baz got through the inning, and the Rays bullpen took it from there.
It was the team-record tying 12th straight game Rays pitchers allowed three or fewer earned runs and the 15th straight with four or fewer.
Fact of the day
Caminero on Tuesday became the first player in Rays history to hit a homer and steal home in a regular season game. Randy Arozarena did so in Game 1 of the 2021 AL Division Series. The last major-leaguer to do so before Caminero was Boston’s Jarren Duran on May 21, 2024, against the Rays at Tropicana Field.
Thursday: vs. Rangers
7:35, Steinbrenner Field
Pitchers: Rays — RH Ryan Pepiot (3-5, 3.21); Rangers — RH Jack Leiter (4-2, 3.66)
TV/radio: FanDuel Sports Sun; 95.3-FM, 620-AM, 106.7-FM (Spanish)
Promotion: Junior Caminero bobblehead
Info: raysbaseball.com
On deck
Friday: vs. Marlins, 1:10. Rays, RH Zack Littell (5-5, 3.86); Marlins, RH Edward Cabrera (2-1, 4.14)
Saturday: vs. Marlins, 4:10. RH Taj Bradley (4-5, 3.95); Marlins, LH Ryan Weathers (1-1, 2.49)
Sunday: vs. Marlins, 12:10. Rays, RH Drew Rasmussen (5-4, 2.14); RH TBA
Monday: at Red Sox, 7:10. Rays. RH Shane Baz (5-3, 4.96); Red Sox, TBA
Tuesday: at Red Sox, 7:10. Rays, RH Ryan Pepiot (3-5. 3.21); Red Sox, TBA
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Wednesday: at Red Sox, 7:10. Rays, RH Zack Littell (5-5, 3.86); Red Sox, TBA