All-Star Jonah Heim delivered a game-sealing home run, the bullpen stepped up after Jon Gray exited early with an injury and the Texas Rangers went on to a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays to complete a three-game sweep on Wednesday in Arlington, Texas.
The American League East-leading Rays were swept for just the second time this season. Both sweeps have come in July as the visiting Phillies swept the Rays July 4-6.
The AL West-leading Rangers are off to a 6-0 start following the All-Star break.
Texas took a 1-0 lead in the third when nine-hole batter Leody Taveras led off the inning with a home run to right when he turned on a first-pitch splitter from Rays starter Zack Littell (0-2).
The Rangers extended their lead to 2-0 with an RBI single by Taveras in the seventh off Rays reliever Calvin Faucher.
Heim came through with the knockout punch in the eighth with a three-run shot off Rays reliever Kevin Kelly. Heim sent a 2-1 cutter into the right-field seats for his 14th home run of the year.
Tampa Bay’s offense struggled to get a timely hit. They scored their only run on a solo shot by Jose Siri in the ninth off Rangers reliever Cody Bradford and were 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
Gray had his start cut short when he took a 112 mph comebacker off his left leg in the fifth inning. The Rangers announced that Gray had a bruised shin and X-rays were negative.
Gray scattered eight hits with four strikeouts over 4 1/3 scoreless innings before being hit on the comebacker from Rays leadoff man Yandy Diaz. Rangers reliever Brock Burke replaced Gray, and threw two scoreless innings.
After Burke (4-2) exited with one on, one out in the seventh, the Rangers turned to right-hander Alex Speas. Speas, who was making his major league debut, came through with a strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play to end the inning. He struck out pinch-hitter Wander Franco with Heim mowing down Manuel Margot trying to steal second.
Speas worked a 1-2-3 eighth, and Bradford pitched the ninth.
–Field Level Media
