Rays 7, Rangers 2
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays matched a season high with three home runs, getting all their scoring on the long ball in an easy 7-2 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night at Tropicana Field.
Tampa Bay (17-14) got three-run home runs from designated hitter Evan Longoria and right fielder Steven Souza, with the bullpen stepping up with five-plus innings of scoreless relief. The Rays match a season high at three games over .500 entering Sunday's series finale against the Rangers (12-18).
With several pitchers still on the disabled list, the Rays got 3 1/3 innings of relief from right-hander Andrew Bellatti, who made his major-league debut, striking out two after being called up from Triple-A Durham after Friday's game.
Another call-up, right-hander Matt Andriese, stepped in as starter and pitched 3 2/3 innings before the bullpen took over. Right-handed reliever Brad Boxberger got the final two outs after Texas loaded the bases in the ninth.
The Rays have won largely with exceptional pitching, but have gotten a boost from their bats in this series, with Saturday's outburst following an 8-2 win on Friday night. Souza and Longoria reached base a combined six times, going a combined 3-for-5 with three walks and their six RBIs.
Shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera added a solo home run in the eighth, his first as a Ray and ending a personal career-long drought of 49 games without a home run, going back to September of last season.
The teams cleared the benches in the fourth after Cabrera shoved Rangers second baseman Adam Rosales after a pickoff attempt. Rosales appeared to fall onto Cabrera, who took exception as he got up and shoved him back.
No ejections were made, and after a three-minute review, the safe call was confirmed by officials.
The Rays jumped out to a 6-2 lead on a pair of three-run home runs by designated hitter Evan Longoria and right fielder Steven Souza. The big hits helped the Rays get through a spot start by overnight call-up Matt Andriese, who lasted 3 2/3 innings subbing for Jake Odorizzi, whose start was bumped to Sunday as he recovers from flulike symptoms.
On the day that Rays fans got Evan Longoria Bobbleheads as a promotion, Longoria got the game off to a strong start. Center fielder Brandon Guyer led off with a single, Souza walked and Longoria crushed a home run for an early 3-0 lead. The home run was Longoria's fourth of the season and his third in four days.
Texas cut the deficit to 3-2 in the fourth on a two-run home run by left fielder Carlos Peguero, his fourth homer of the season. Andriese was gone after one more batter, but the Rays' bullpen stepped up, holding the one-run lead until the bats added to it.
Catcher Rene Rivera walked and Guyer singled in the fifth, and Souza cleared the bases with his fifth home run of the year for a 6-2 lead.
NOTES: Rangers OF Josh Hamilton, acquired from the Angels two weeks ago, will begin a rehab assignment Sunday with Triple-A Round Rock at Nashville. INF Mitch Moreland (elbow) was scheduled to begin his rehab assignment with Round Rock on Saturday night. ... Rangers RHP Yovani Gallardo was charged with two runs after he left Friday's game, giving him five runs this season that have counted against him after he left games. That's tied for second most in the majors -- only Miami's David Phelps (6) has more. ... The Rays got good news as RHP Jake Odorizzi, bumped a day due to flu-like symptoms, is feeling better and will start Sunday's series finale. ... Rays 3B Evan Longoria, who saw his major league-long consecutive games streak end Thursday, was a DH for the second day in a row and is expected to return to third on Sunday.