Texas Rangers at Tampa Bay Rays

The way the Rays’ pitching staff has been rolling lately, they don’t need much help from their lineup. They didn’t get much Wednesday night. Fortunately, they got all they needed right away. Yandy Díaz hit a first-pitch, leadoff homer off Rangers starter MacKenzie Gore, and Ryan Vilade hammered a two-run shot off Tropicana Field’s C-ring catwalk three batters later. Opener Casey Legumina, lefty Ian Seymour and the back end of the Rays bullpen took that lead and ran all the way to a 3-0 victory over the Rangers. “There’s not much you can say, really,” Díaz said through interpreter Kevin Vera. “The only thing that comes to mind is, like you guys say, ‘These guys are nasty.’ Our pitchers are nasty.” It was the Rays’ ninth shutout win of the season and their third in the past four games. Since giving up 28 runs during a four-game series in Boston coming out of the All-Star break, Tampa Bay has permitted only 15 runs in the last nine games. It was a group effort on Wednesday, but everyone played their part to perfection. The Rangers didn’t advance a runner to third base, even though all four of their hits were doubles. Legumina retired five of the six batters he faced, then Seymour breezed into the seventh inning by setting down 14 of the 17 he faced. Left-hander Garrett Cleavinger stranded a pair of runners in the seventh, striking out Cam Cauley to end an eight-pitch battle before retiring Alejandro Osuna on just one pitch. Kevin Kelly struck out the side in the eighth before Bryan Baker picked up his 29th save, second-most in the Majors behind Cleveland’s Cade Smith, in the ninth. It was also Baker’s 18th straight save, which only hints at the confidence and consistency he has brought to his role. “Just committing to our process and attacking the zone, gaining count control and relying on the defense behind us,” Seymour said. “That's been leading to some good outcomes.” The whole game was an example of what the Rays do best. They got ahead in counts, with 24 first-pitch strikes to the 32 batters they faced. They only walked one batter. In fact, they only ran into three three-ball counts all night.