Rays 5, Rangers 2
David Price pitched into the seventh inning to collect his fourth win, and visiting Tampa Bay held off a late rally for its seventh victory in the last eight games.
Josh Hamilton gave Texas an early lead with a first-inning RBI single, but the Rays answered with three runs in the second against Derek Holland (2-2). Jeff Keppinger singled in a run to start the surge, later scoring on a Luke Scott double.
The Rangers pulled within 4-2 in the fifth inning, but Tampa Bay’s Desmond Jennings tacked on an insurance run in the seventh when he plated Sean Rodriguez with a triple.
Price (4-1) went 6 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on six hits while striking out six and walking one. Joel Peralta pitched through the eighth inning to hold the lead for Fernando Rodney, who brought the winning run to the plate with two out in the ninth but escaped with his seventh save when he snared a liner by Ian Kinsler.
Holland finished with eight strikeouts but surrendered five runs on nine hits in his seven innings of work.
Ben Zobrist had an RBI double in the third inning for the Rays, one of his three hits on the night.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Texas manager Ron Washington was ejected in the seventh after arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Dan Bellino ... Hamilton left the game in the bottom of the second with stiffness in his back ... This was the first series loss of the season for the Rangers ... Zobrist was thrown out at the plate by Rangers RF Nelson Cruz to end the third inning.