Rays 7, Rangers 0
Drew Smyly struck out nine over a career-high 7 2/3 innings while Cole Figueroa collected a triple, a double, an RBI and scored twice as visiting Tampa Bay routed Texas in the opener of a four-game series.
Matt Joyce knocked in a pair of runs while Ben Zobrist went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Rays, who pulled within six games of the second American League wild-card spot. Smyly (7-10) allowed three hits and three walks while throwing a career-high 116 pitches in his second start with Tampa Bay after being acquired from Detroit.
Adrian Beltre recorded a single and walked twice for the Rangers, who have dropped three of four to Tampa Bay this season. Texas starter Colby Lewis (8-9) yielded five runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks over five innings to suffer the loss after winning his last two outings.
Figueroa came home on Lewis’ throwing error in the second to open the scoring and Joyce added a two-run single with two down later in the inning. Zobrist delivered an RBI double to the right-center field gap with two outs in the fourth before Evan Longoria singled him in for a 5-0 lead.
Smyly, who gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings to lose at Oakland in his first start with Tampa Bay, permitted only a bunt single through the first six frames. Figueroa led off the eighth with a double and scored on Desmond Jennings’ two-out single before knocking in a run with his first career triple in the ninth.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Zobrist is 11-for-20 with five doubles over his last five contests. … Texas OF Alex Rios was held out of Monday’s lineup with a sore right ankle, but according to reports he could play as soon as Tuesday after an MRI exam did not show any significant damage. … Tampa Bay OF Kevin Kiermaier, who tripled and scored a run, left the game as a precaution in the seventh inning with lower back tightness.