ST. PETERSBURG – It was a weaving, back-and-forth matinee that featured a combined 12 pitchers, a go-ahead home run into Tropicana Field’s left-field short pocket and one potentially game-saving defensive play in the ninth inning.
But after the Rangers fell, 3-2, against the Rays in Thursday afternoon’s series finale, manager Skip Schumaker said there was an obvious bottom line.
“The story is we didn’t get anything going offensively,’’ Schumaker said. “It’s tough to win games that way.’’
The Rangers had two hits. They were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. In total, they left nine runners on base.
Still, they gave themselves an opportunity in the ninth inning. Nicky Lopez drew a leadoff walk off closer Bryan Baker after twice being called out on strikes (both pitches were overturned to balls after appeals on the Automated Ball-Strike system). Then pinch-hitter Evan Carter drilled what looked like a game-tying extra-base hit to the right-field corner, but Victor Mesa Jr. ran and leaped to flag it down in spectacular fashion.
Mesa had also robbed Brandon Nimmo of what could’ve been an extra-base hit RBI back in the first with a long run into the gap.
“He [Mesa] had a couple of nice plays, no doubt about it,’’ Carter said. “You can’t get mad at good defense. But when you’re not getting any hits [earlier in the game], then you get a runner on and have a play like that made against us, it amplifies the frustration. You wish it would’ve fallen in, but the guy made a great play.’’
With two outs in the ninth, Wyatt Langford drew a walk, putting the potential go-ahead run on base. But Baker struck out Ezequiel Duran to end the game.
The Rays had surged ahead, 3-2, in the eighth when Cedric Mullins deposited a 338-foot homer off Ben Peoples (0-1) just inside the left-field foul pole and over the Trop’s short fence -- possibly the only spot in the park where it would’ve been a homer.
“I don’t want to say it was luck because home runs are home runs,’’ Schumaker said.
The Rangers had other missed opportunities to lament.
Thursday didn’t look like an ideal scenario for the Rangers. They opened with right-hander Cole Winn and planned a bullpen day. And they faced left-hander Shane McClanahan, one of the Rays’ aces.
McClanahan, though, exited the game with a 1-0 lead after putting two runners aboard in the fourth inning. He had surrendered no hits and just one baserunner through the first three. The Rays said McClanahan had left mid-back tightness.
Against hastily prepared right-hander Casey Legumina, the Rangers got Duran to third on Jake Burger’s fly ball, putting runners on the corners with one out. Joc Pederson then hit what could have been an inning-ending double-play ball, but it caromed off the ankle of Rays shortstop Taylor Walls for an error, allowing Duran to score.
The Rangers took a 2-1 lead in the fifth against right-hander Craig Kimbrel when Langford’s double to the left-field corner brought in Alejandro Osuna from first base. Langford got to third on a flyout, then Nimmo walked and stole second. But they were stranded on Burger’s strikeout. The Rangers went hitless in the final four innings, getting four baserunners on walks.
“You’ve got to kind of put the series on our offense a little bit,’’ Burger said. “I don’t think there’s much to be upset about other than the offense not performing in these last two games. We had some hard-hit balls right at guys and they played some good defense. And I think we were maybe trying to do a little too much [at the plate].’’
The Rays tied it 2-2 in the sixth when Jonny DeLuca blasted a 415-foot solo homer off right-hander Peyton Gray, setting the stage for Mullins’ eighth-inning blast.
The first-place Rangers (55-54) will travel to the Astros for a weekend series in the American League West. It’s expected that shortstop Corey Seager, on the injured list since July 1, will be activated. Seager, battling a lower-back injury, successfully completed back-to-back rehab assignment games with Double-A Frisco.
“I think we’re really fired up to get him back,’’ Burger said. “It’s adding another guy in the lineup who can change the game in one swing. It’s just his presence, too. It makes the lineup deeper. He’s going to go out there and be Corey Seager. I think it’s exciting that he’s ready to go.”