Jennings comfortable at top of Rays' lineup

HOUSTON -- Desmond Jennings has hit at the top of the Rays' batting order against lefties, but it is a role he is comfortable with anytime.

He kick-started the Rays' offense in Tuesday's 8-0 win, lining the first pitch of the game for his first of three hits, including his 10th homer of the season. He also drove in four runs.

"I'm trying to be aggressive, trying to go with my strength," Jennings said. "If that means swinging at the first pitch, I'm going to do it. Working the count, sometimes I'm going to have to do that, and sometimes I'm going to have to be aggressive. So it's just about picking the right time."

Jennings had 10 homers entering Wednesday's game, when he stole his 11th base. That gave him a third consecutive season where he tallied at least 10 homers and steals. While his 10th homer came in Game 79 this season, it took him 102 games to reach that number last season.

"If we could get him going, and he could really be the catalyst, that would be a really nice thing for the rest of the first half and into the second half of the season," Rays manager Joe Maddon said.