ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) – Carl Crawford had two triples, two doubles and three RBIs, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays hung on to beat the Texas Rangers 10-8 Tuesday night.
Crawford matched a team record for the most extra-base hits in a game, previously set by Jose Cruz Jr. and Randy Winn. Alex Gonzalez homered and Jorge Cantu drove in three runs for the Devil Rays, who are 13-5 since the All-Star break.
Hank Blalock and Gary Matthews Jr. connected for the Rangers, who began a six-game homestand after a 5-2 road trip. Matthews had three hits, but Texas lost its sixth straight at home.
Devil Rays starter Seth McClung (2-6) gave up seven runs and six hits over 5 1-3 innings. Danys Baez got three outs for his 21st save in 28 chances.
Tampa Bay grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first against Chris Young (8-7) on consecutive RBI doubles by Crawford and Cantu, and a run-scoring single from Aubrey Huff.
Gonzalez’s solo homer in the second – his sixth – stretched the Devil Rays’ advantage to 4-0.
Texas rallied with a two-run second on Matthews’ RBI single and Rod Barajas’ run-scoring double.
The Rangers took a 5-4 lead in the third, capitalizing on two walks by McClung followed by Blalock’s three-run shot, his 20th.
Tampa Bay went ahead 8-5 with a four-run fourth on Gonzalez’s RBI double, Crawford’s two-run triple and Cantu’s sacrifice fly.
Young, who gave up seven runs and eight hits in 3 1-3 innings, hasn’t won since June 30.
The Devil Rays kept up the pressure against reliever James Baldwin on Cantu’s RBI double in the sixth to make it 9-5.
In the sixth, Alfonso Soriano’s RBI double off McClung and Matthews’ two-run homer off Trever Miller – Matthews’ 12th – got the Rangers to 9-8.
Tampa Bay extended its lead to 10-8 in the ninth on Toby Hall’s RBI single.
Notes: Blalock has 16 homers at home. … Crawford had his fifth career two-triple game. … Young has lasted four innings or less in five of his last six starts. … McClung’s last start against Texas was on May 22, 2003, his final appearance before Tommy John surgery. McClung pitched only 3 1-3 innings and got a no-decision in a 10-8 Rangers victory. … Travis Lee of the Devil Rays left in the ninth after being hit in the right foot by a pitch from Kameron Loe.
AP-ES-08-02-05 2301EDT
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