ARLINGTON, Texas — The Tampa Bay Rays snapped a 10-game losing streak at Globe Life Field with a 7-6 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night, surviving a shaky ninth inning that saw closer Bryan Baker exit with an illness before Tyler Wells sealed the final out.
Baker, the MLB saves leader with 39 on the season and 28 straight converted save opportunities, opened the ninth by walking Jake Burger on nine pitches and Evan Carter on six. Manager Kevin Cash and trainer Joe Benge pulled him after noticing a significant dip in velocity. Baker, who has been battling an illness, downplayed the early exit. “Just a little sluggish,” he said. “Unfortunately it’s one of those ones when you go out there and realize this is not good, so props to them for recognizing it and props to Wells for coming in and cleaning up my mess. That was awesome.”
Asked when he would return, Baker smiled: “Give me an electrolyte packet and a couple of hours, I think I’ll be OK.”
Wells, who entered to close the game, admitted he did not realize the game was over when Justin Foscue popped out for the final out. “I saw everyone clapping hands, it’s like, ‘What’s going on? We won?’” Wells said. “I looked up and saw that we had won. I was like, ‘Oh, cool.’ I was still stuck in the previous inning where we were only up by one. That’s on me. That’s kind of the funny story of the night.”
The Rays had not won at Globe Life Field since June 2, 2022. They built a 6-1 lead through five innings on five extra-base hits — two home runs and three doubles — behind starter Nick Martinez, who was facing the organization that drafted him in the 18th round of the 2011 Draft. Left fielder Chandler Simpson added a spectacular diving catch in the fourth inning. But Texas stormed back in the seventh when Elias Díaz crushed a grand slam off reliever Garrett Cleavinger, pulling the Rangers within 6-5.
Left-hander Cam Booser rescued the seventh by inducing Corey Seager to bounce into an inning-ending double play with the potential go-ahead run at the plate. “Huge,” Cash said. “That might be the last person in baseball I want to see come up with the game on the line, just from our experience with Corey Seager, he’s such a good hitter, so talented. And, Booser took a deep breath, made a big pitch and got a double-play ball.”
Kevin Kelly worked a 1-2-3 eighth before Junior Caminero delivered an RBI single in the top of the ninth to extend the lead to 7-5 — a run that proved decisive after Texas scored once more in the bottom of the frame. “Big win today, especially the stadium here,” Caminero said. “We’ve got to continue to get confidence. Tomorrow is another day and we just keep fighting and get another victory.”
Martinez, who improved to 7-1 with a 2.15 ERA in 13 road starts, acknowledged the weight of the streak. “Obviously we’re well aware of the 10 games straight losing here and kind of like with teams that don’t like playing in the Trop, I guess the Rays didn’t like playing here,” he said. “Big win, right? Every one is very important now. That’s got to be the focus — doing whatever we can to just win ballgames.”
The Rays continue their series against the Rangers at Globe Life Field on Saturday.