ARLINGTON -- The Rays left Texas with a split of a four-game series after an 8-6 loss on Sunday at Globe Life Field.
“Not good enough,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said sharply afterward on any consolation of getting two victories before leaving for a ride to the airport and a trip to Atlanta for the continuation of this seven-game road trip.
Nonetheless, the Rays managed to maintain a four-game lead in the American League East over the Yankees, who lost to San Diego.
Tampa Bay was undone by Rangers slugger Jake Burger, who had two home runs off Rays starter Ian Seymour, and an untimely error by shortstop Jorge Mateo that led to two more runs in the Texas fourth.
The Rangers got after the Rays’ depleted bullpen, which gave up four runs (three earned) over five innings on seven hits, four walks and a home run to Corey Seager, who added insurance in the eighth.
Left-hander Steven Matz (5-5), who gave up a go-ahead run in the fifth, suffered the loss for the Rays (85-58).
Making his 13th start and 43rd appearance of the season, Seymour lasted three-plus innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on five hits and a walk. His nemesis was Burger, who hit two home runs and drove in three runs off of the lefty.
Over his past six starts (not including his relief appearance Aug. 25), Seymour has pitched 32 1/3 innings, allowing 35 hits and 16 runs (15 earned) while walking five and striking out 45. That works out to a 4.18 ERA.
“Obviously, out of sync,” Cash said of his starter. “I felt he was kind of out of sync from the first inning on. Just looked like his mechanics weren't as crisp and had fallen behind guys. And then when he had to come in the zone, he was leaving a lot of pitches middle.”
Seymour got behind on Burger in the second. He grooved a fastball for Burger to jump on for his 24th home run of the season. Burger next found a 2-2 changeup to his liking for his 25th home run, a two-run shot that scored Wyatt Langford, who had walked to lead off the inning.
Seymour said he didn’t feel out of sync.
“Not really,” he said. “Just fell behind Burger and then challenged him [in the second]. Get ahead of [Langford], and walk him and then make a bad two-two pitch [to Burger]. Really, that was the only thing that hurt me today.”
The Rays sent 10 hitters to the plate in a four-run second against Rangers starter MacKenzie Gore.
Victor Mesa Jr., Nick Fortes, Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda all had an RBI. Fortes brought home the second run with a bunt tapped in front of the mound. Mateo slid home ahead of catcher Elias Díaz’s tag, while Fortes reached first on the fielder’s choice. The play was scored a sacrifice bunt.
Tampa Bay added a run in the fourth on Junior Caminero’s sacrifice fly, scoring Díaz, who led off the inning with his second hit of the day.
Díaz was 2-for-5 with a run scored for the Rays. Aranda was 2-for-4, while Chandler Simpson was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Jonny DeLuca also had two hits and an RBI in the seventh that trimmed the Rangers’ lead to one run.
The Rangers made the home field their personal parade ground in the fourth and fifth innings. Texas scored six combined runs in the two frames, sending up 16 hitters and collecting seven hits. Burger, Justin Foscue, Ezequiel Duran, and Elias Díaz all had at least one RBI.
The Rangers made the Rays pay for Mateo’s throwing error on Seager’s grounder with two outs in the fourth. Foscue, the next hitter, drove in two more runs with a double that tied the game at five.
“That caused two runs right there, but that's part of the game,” Mateo said. “I just have to keep going. It was a tough game today for everybody -- for the team, for me -- but we just need keep it up. There's a lot of things going on; we need to keep battling.”
Matz bore the brunt of it out of the ‘pen, allowing three hits, a walk and two runs in an inning of relief.
Right-hander Ty Johnson made his Major League debut out of the bullpen in the seventh for Tampa Bay. Except for a walk to the first hitter he faced, Joc Pederson, his line was clean. Johnson struck out two hitters to keep the deficit at one.
Right-hander Cole Sulser, the fifth Tampa Bay reliever, gave up Seager’s solo home run in the eighth.
“We couldn't create any swing and miss in the fourth and fifth,” Cash said. “They strung together a bunch of really good at-bats and got themselves right back in the game. And then Mateo, that kind of opened the door in the fourth.”