Texas Rangers vs Tampa Bay Rays Box Score on Jul 21, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jul 21, 2017

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Texas Rangers rallied on Shin-Soo Choo's two-run homer to tie the Tampa Bay Rays in the ninth inning and then won 4-3 on Elvis Andrus' RBI single in the 10th on Friday night at Tropicana Field.

The Rangers (46-50) ended a five-game losing streak.

Jonathan Lucroy led off the 10th with a walk from Brad Boxberger (2-1), advanced on a sacrifice bunt and flyout, then scored when Andrus beat the throw to first on a ground ball deep to third base.

Rangers reliever Alex Claudio (2-0) got the win after pitching the final two innings.

The Rays got a leadoff single in the 10th, but Adeiny Hechavarria bunted into a 2-6-3 double play and pinch-hitter Trevor Plouffe lined out to left to end the game.

The Rays (51-46) had been 44-1 this season when leading after eight innings. Starter Alex Cobb got a rare chance to pitch into the ninth but lost a two-run lead on Choo's home run to send the game to extra innings.

Three of the Rays' first four hits off Rangers starter Yu Darvish were solo home runs, good enough for a 3-1 lead heading into the ninth.

Brad Miller tied the score in the fourth inning with his fourth homer of the season, Corey Dickerson gave the Rays the lead in the sixth with his 18th, and Mallex Smith added an insurance run in the eighth with his second home run of the season.

Cobb had been dominant of late. He had allowed one earned run in 15 1/3 innings in his previous two starts, and has lasted at least seven innings in five of his last six outings.

At 96 pitches with a 3-1 lead, Cobb came back out for the ninth and a chance at the Rays' first complete game since May 2016. It took only three pitches to spoil a gem -- a double to Joey Gallo, then a two-run homer to left by Choo, his 14th of the season, to tie the score at 3 and end Cobb's night. He had allowed only three hits and one run in the first eight innings.

Rays closer Alex Colome took over for Cobb and got out of the ninth with the score tied. Cobb and Darvish both settled for solid no-decisions, with matching lines of eight innings, five hits and three runs allowed. Darvish struck out 12, matching his total from his last start against the Rays in September.

For five innings, Darvish and Cobb were locked in a pitchers' duel, each allowing just one run and two hits and largely keeping batters in check.

The Rangers struck early, as Andrus hit a solo home run as the second batter of the game for a 1-0 lead. Cobb continued his strong pitching of late, holding the Rangers to one hit in the next four innings.

Darvish, who came in with a 4-0 career record and 1.07 ERA against the Rays, dominated early. He didn't allow a hit until Dickerson's high chopper back to the mound for an infield single in the third inning.

Miller hit a solo home run in the fourth to tie the score, but Darvish had seven strikeouts in his first 11 outs.

Rays right fielder Steven Souza did not start the game. He was listed as day to day with a left hip strain after sliding awkwardly and leaving Wednesday's game. Shane Peterson, hitting .260 in limited action, got the start in right field instead, hitting eighth in the batting order.

Souza entered the game as a pinch hitter in the ninth and singled to left field.

NOTES: Rays OF Corey Dickerson's home run was his first in 91 at-bats, going back nearly a month to June 24. ... Two members of the Rays' bullpen for the first half of the season are now free agents. RHP Jumbo Diaz cleared waivers and elected free agency, and the Rays released RHP Danny Farquhar from Triple-A Durham. ... Thursday's 9-7 loss to the Orioles marked the seventh time the Rangers have lost this season after holding a lead of at least four runs. That's the most such losses in the majors, two more than the Marlins and Orioles. ... Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre's single in the ninth inning gave him 2,986 hits, breaking a tie with Sam Rice for 31st place.