Rays 6, Rangers 3
Evan Longoria belted a two-run homer and added an RBI single as visiting Tampa Bay defeated Texas to take three of four in the series.
Logan Forsythe went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs as Tampa Bay remained within six games of the second American League wild-card spot. Jake Odorizzi (9-9) allowed two runs on four hits over seven innings while striking out seven and walking one to win for the sixth time in his last eight starts.
Geovany Soto belted a two-run homer and Rougned Odor added a solo shot for the Rangers, who lost five of seven to the Rays this season. Texas starter Robbie Ross (2-5) yielded six runs on eight hits over 4 1/3 innings after being recalled Thursday to take the spot of injured All-Star Yu Darvish (elbow) in the rotation.
Yunel Escobar reached on an infield hit with two outs in the second inning and trotted home when Forsythe launched a 0-2 pitch from Ross into the left-field seats to open the scoring. The Rays doubled the lead in the third when Longoria and James Loney (two hits) delivered two-out RBI singles.
Soto cut the lead in half in the fourth with his first blast of the season, but Longoria answered in the fifth by lining his two-run shot into the left-field seats. Odor homered off Jeff Beliveau in the eighth before Brad Boxberger got the final two outs of the frame and Jake McGee worked a perfect ninth for his 13th save.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Rays have allowed three runs or fewer in 18 straight road games, the second-longest streak in major league history behind the 1908 Chicago Cubs (21). … Ross was the first LHP to start for the Rangers in 39 games. … Tampa Bay CF Desmond Jennings (shoulder) missed his second straight game after running into the wall to make a catch Tuesday, but could play Friday in the opener of a three-game series with the visiting New York Yankees.