The Texas Rangers (4-2) beat the Tampa Bay Rays (3-4) 4-1 on Wednesday afternoon at Tropicana Field. The Rays wrapped up the season opening homestand with a 3-4 record after dropping the three game series to the defending World Series champions.
Aaron Ciale (1-1, 1.50) delivered a quality start, allowing one earned run on four hits in six innings of work in which he struck out eight while walking two. He was out-dueled by former Ray Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 1.38) who pitched seven innings of shutout baseball while striking out eight and walking one.
Corey Seager hit a solo home run in the sixth inning for Texas, which would be all of the scoring this game would see until the ninth inning. In the top of the ninth Texas broke it open with a three-run frame. The Rays got a run back with a RBI single from Harold Ramirez in the bottom of the ninth to pull within 4-1, which would prove to be the final score.
The Rays are now off Thursday before beginning their first road trip of the year with games in Colorado and Arizona. Tampa Bay begins a three-game interleague series with the Colorado Rockies on Friday. First pitch for the Rockies home opener is scheduled for 4:10 PM - Ronnie Lane begins pregame coverage with the Inside Pitch at 3:00 PM on 95.3 WDAE & AM 620, your Home of Rays Baseball.
COVER PHOTO COURTESY GETTY IMAGES