Matt Andriese worked around a handful of early situations in the second, third and fourth innings, stranding runners in scoring position in the second and third.
However, the Rangers broke the 0-0 deadlock in the fifth inning with Mitch Moreland’s opposite field homer (21) to start the frame. Then with one out, Elvis Andrus walked and eventually scored all the way from first on Ian Desmond’s single to center. The play was exacerbated by Mikie Mahtook, who lobbed the ball into second assuming Andrus was going to stop at third. He didn’t, however, and Andrus beat a high relay throw to the plate from Tim Beckham.
Mahtook slotted into center field when Kevin Kiermaier left the ballgame after one at-bat with left hip tightness, while Beckham was at second base for Logan Forsythe, who missed a third straight game with back spasms.
Mahtook took full responsibility for the gaffe, saying,
We had a few lapses and defensive miscues. It’s not the type of team we are. The play in center field was all on me. It was one of those things where he just, he got me. … He baited me into it. I lobbed it to Beckham at second, and he took the extra base. That won’t ever happen again. That’s not a good feeling to have that happen to you.
But Mikie wasn’t the only Ray who had a hard time in the field Friday night, and the sloppy defense cost the team runs. In the sixth inning, after Adrian Beltre homered to center off Matt Andriese, Beckham allowed the lead runner (Nomar Mazara) to reach second base instead of throwing there to get the easy force. At another point in the game, three defenders converged on a ball that was the second baseman’s.
Rays skipper Kevin Cash was made upset by the sloppy effort. “We got out-pitched. We got out-hit, out-defended,” Cash said. “They didn’t make any mental mistakes. We made a handful. Pretty disappointing effort.”
On the other side of the coin, Rangers starter Cole Hamels surrendered just two hits over the first seven innings, and didn’t allow a hit until the sixth when Corey Dickerson hit a two-out single. Steven Souza Jr. ended the chance of a shutout when he blasted a 459 foot to start the eighth, and Evan Longoria drove home the second run of the inning with a base hit to center off RHP Tony Barnette.
The New What Next
RHP Jake Odorizzi (7-5, 3.72 ERA) will toe the rubber for Tampa Bay Saturday night, opposite of RHP A.J. Griffin (5-2, 4.09 ERA). Odorizzi leads all American League pitchers (minimum 25 innings) with a 1.66 ERA since the All-Star Break. He is 4-0 in six starts since the unofficial start of the second half of the season. Griffin has a 6.69 ERA in his last seven starts, yet the Rangers have won four of his last five turns. He’s held right-handed batters to a .201 batting average this season. You can read about the pitching matchup in our series preview.
Rays 8/20/16 Starting lineup
Mahtook CF
Dickerson LF
Longoria 3B
Miller 1B
Duffy SS
Morrison DH
Beckham 2B
Souza RF
Maile C
Odorizzi RHP
Noteworthiness
— Nick Franklin departed the ballgame after the fifth inning due to dizziness. He will be placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list, and the Rays corresponded by recalling INF Richie Shaffer.
Franklin was hit on the head during the first inning Wednesday afternoon when Kevin Kiermaier swung a bat on the on-deck circle. He left that game, but passed a concussion test and felt fine prior to Friday.
All that changed after he ran out a fly ball in the fourth inning.
I had cotton mouth when I went out to left (field), Franklin said. I felt like I could pass out there. It was a really weird feeling. Hopefully it goes away and I’m back to normal.
— Oswaldo Arcia, who was reinstated from the DL on Friday, has been designated for assignment. Arcia was claimed off waivers by Tampa Bay in the middle of June, but spent 20 days on the DL with a right elbow strain. The outfielder is out of options, and — unfortunately for him — there was no room left on the 25-man roster. The team reportedly would like to sign him to a minor-league deal if he clears waivers. Should that happen, Arcia could rejoin the team in September when the rosters expand.
— Tampa Bay made another roster move, activating LHP Enny Romero from the DL, and optioning RHP Ryan Garton to Triple-A Durham.